SHADOW ON THE SEA
by TheSilentPartner
Summary: What if the tables were turned... and it was Gibbs who wanted more from their relationship than Colonel Mann could give?
1. Chapter 1

**A SHADOW ON THE SEA**

The mid-afternoon sun beats down on the calm and lifeless sea. In all directions there is nothing but the desolate surface of green-blue water with no land in sight. On the bridge of his commercial fishing boat, Cyclops, Captain John Skow lets his trained eyes slowly scan the water once more. Then a small electronic beep draws his eyes away from the horizon. He stares down at the radar monitor, an electronic beep confirms the sighting of another ship out there. Squinting as he barely makes out a luxury cabin cruiser, about a thirty-footer if his guess is correct.

Out on the main deck, Scott McWhirter is a hard working young kid in his mid-twenties. He is handsome and athletic with muscles honed hard as rock from his long days working the fishing nets. His hands still on the net as his eyes narrow to watch the boat approaching. Just then a loud speaker crackles to life as Captain Skow's voice booms. "Move it! They're almost alongside!" Scott spins, waving his acknowledgement before he rushes over to attach a line on a small rubber zodiac boat and drop it over the side in preparation to meet the arriving boat.

Manuel Delgado captains the shiny cruiser as it nears the old, beat up fishing vessel. He eases the throttle down as they approach and maneuvers his smaller boat alongside the Cyclops. Captain Skow is watching from the railing and gives him a thumbs up to indicate all is well. Down on the stern deck of the cruiser, Mark Tobin, is a man who knows boats, but prefers to spend his time in Vegas with a pretty show girl on each arm. Scott tosses him a line and waits for Tobin tie it off. Both vessels are left idling calmly while Skow now climbs down a short rope ladder to the deck of the cruiser. "No problems?"

"Smooth… real smooth. We off loaded and were on our way in fifteen minutes. What about McWhirter?"

"I'll handle him." Captain Skow glances over to see Scott still standing at the stern, watching the cabin cruiser. Skow shakes his head and curses under his breath as he heads back out on deck; disappointed his hard working deck hand has become a liability.

Scott is tethering the lines released by the cruiser moments before when Captain Skow comes up behind him. Skow is armed with a large pointed grappling hook on a pole and thrusts it hard into Scott's midsection as Scott turns to face him. The younger man is agile, but taken by surprise he isn't quick enough to avoid being impaled. With the iron shaft sticking well into his stomach, Scott grabs the handle and staggers back as his eyes meet the murderous glare in Skow's. He vainly shakes his head and staggers back, falling to his knees with a breathless groan.

Skow quickly jerks the hook out of his midsection and uses the ten foot grappling pole like a bat, swinging it in an arc towards Scott's head. The pole strikes him in the back of the head, just behind his right ear and he slumps down to the deck unconscious. Skow drags Scott's lifeless body towards the stern rail and fishes out his wallet from a back pocket. Then without so much as a moment's regret, Captain Skow pushes the dead weight into the sea like some unwanted fish. He tosses the wallet to Delgado on board the cruiser.

"Anything on radar?"

Skow knows his companion's paranoia well and scans the surrounding horizon and then turns back to Delgado with a sarcastic retort. "Yea, the whole Atlantic fleet… now, do what I told you. Scuttle her out there… and move it!" Skow doesn't wait for Delgado's reply and turns his back on the nervous Mexican to return to the bridge.

Agent Gibbs and Lieutenant Colonel Hollis Mann walk down the wooden dock towards a group of men wearing tan Coast Guard uniforms. They have their backs turned as they watch the efforts of several seamen who are attempting to pump out a cabin cruiser. The scuttled boat is tied up to the dock, but listing badly to port with the hose spewing seawater back into the bay. Water fills the interior cabin, but at this point the stern deck is sitting high and dry. As Gibbs and Hollis come up beside the group they watch the operation in silence before the commanding officer, Captain Matt Clark, turns to greet them above the rumble of the loud bilge pump.

"Agent Gibbs? Thank you for coming."

"This is Colonel Mann, Army Criminal Investigations Detail… Captain Clark, from the Coast Guard."

"Hello."

"Nice to meet you, Colonel Mann."

"How soon before we can get down there?" Her no nonsense approach tells him she is used to being in command.

"Maybe another hour… she's still pretty water logged below deck. We've already had a diver down there. No one's on board."

"Any survivors?"

Clark shakes his head and Hollis plants her hands on her gun belt in a gesture Gibbs recognizes as frustration. Seeing her reaction, Gibbs distracts her, "Water temperature has got to be, what, 50 degrees?"

"Closer to 40 this time of year. I wouldn't recommend going aboard until they're done pumping her out, Colonel."

Their eyes hold for a moment then she smiles, and Captain Clark suddenly wishes he wasn't a married man. He noticed she didn't have a wedding band on her hand and was tempted to keep his hidden from sight. His mind is jerked back to the present as Gibbs' inquires about the boat to distract them. "Just what happened? To cause all this…Matt?"

"I'll show you, come on."

Captain Clark clears his throat and quickly steps over to the cruiser's stern deck. He then points to the hatch cover for the engine compartment. "Someone's disconnected the water intake manifold and pumped the hull full of sea water."

"With all that water down there, why didn't it sink?"

"I'm sure they intended it to, but not this boat. She's state of the art. She's equipped with a flotation collar. She'll take on a hell of a lot of water, right up to the bridge and still stay afloat. That's how we found her."

"Any idea how long it was under before you spotted her?"

"Probably twenty-four hours at the most."

A look of surprise passes over Hollis's face as she glances over her shoulder at Gibbs. He nods in understanding as Hollis turns back,. "Twenty-four hours? Are you sure? This boat was reported missing a week ago."

"I'm very sure. Wherever this boat's been during the last week, I can't say… but she wasn't scuttled until yesterday. She should be pumped out and dry enough to board in about a day, Agent Gibbs. But, what's NCIS's interest in her?"

"The owner of this cruiser is Army General Bikaner; he's golfing partners with SecNav. Ergo, our joint assistance."

"Didn't know we needed the help, but your assistance is welcome. Come on, I know a nice coffee shop on the pier where we can talk."

They walk a short distance to the coffee shop, which is a combined bait shop, gift store, boat rental and coffee shop for the marina patrons. Hollis tries not to think about the fact that the kitchen area probably pulls double duty for food and bait preparation. The restaurant area is surprisingly clean and lacks the fishy smell of the rest of this area.

Captain Clark studies Hollis for a moment as she smiles and sips her coffee, wondering what brought the smile to her face, before he turns his attention to Gibbs. "You know, we've been working this for two months now. I suggest you get together with our people too."

"Two months? I don't understand."

"We've got six other missing boats… that haven't been recovered. No sign of the owners or crews… just vanished. This may well be our first real break of what's been happening… my guess is piracy."

Hollis and Gibbs exchange a look at the word piracy. Gibbs sets his cup down and raises a hand to gesture. "Let's just assume… for the moment, that someone is pirating private boats. You have any idea who or why?"

"The obvious answer would be to disguise and sell them... but as we've seen today, that doesn't seem to be the case. The Miami district office got a call… about a week ago. This guy said he shipped out of here and was in Miami with some important information… then he never showed."

"Tell me… if you were looking for information on these missing boats, where would you start?"

"With someone who knows these waters… someone who knows the vessels, the captains, the crews… in a nut shell… I'd contact Jack Cahill, if you can find him. He's been heavy into the bottle for about six months now, but before that… he knew everything that went on from here to Miami."

Gibbs takes a small note pad from his jacket pocket and makes a notation of this guy's name. Hollis doesn't hold out any hope of locating him, since this naval officer has been working on this case for two months and hasn't been able to find him yet. They fall into silence as they sip their coffee, each lost in thoughts of pirates working off the coast of Virginia.

******

Well away from the efficient running of the Coast Guard ship yards there sits a small, run down marine salvage company on the southern end of the bay. McWhirter & Son Marine Salvage Company, is housed in a tin framed warehouse that's seen better days. The tin walls and roof show their share of rust and corrosion and haven't seen a coat of paint in many years. The owner, Wayne McWhirter is never far from his dingy office, overseeing the operations of his salvage business with an iron fist.

Wayne McWhirter sits behind his massive wooden desk, piled high with anything that doesn't belong somewhere else. Seated on the opposite side is a large, sharp eyed man who emits cool confidence. His fingers are steepled in front of him as he stares back at the older, craggy faced man behind the desk. Turk Daniels is a private investigator and former cop from Dallas. He's as hard as they come and very good at his job. Now, he looks over at an old deep sea diving helmet and gestures to it with his fingertips. "Bet it got hot as hell in there… how deep could you go in one of those?"

McWhirter is not in a mood too chat and suddenly stands up to get a bottle of whiskey from a file cabinet in the corner. "Look, you study diving on your own time. I'm interested in you finding my son… that's all!"

"Slow down, there partner… in my business, it helps to know a little bit about a lot of things. You never know when it might come in handy." Turk's voice is calm and low, but the note of authority is clear. McWhirter sighs heavily as he takes a swig from the bottle before holding it out to Turk. Turk declines the offer with a wave of his hand. "Now, how long has… Scott, been missing?"

"Well, he's not exactly missing. Not in the true sense."

"Then why call me in from Texas? Which leads to my next question… have you notified the local police?"

"No, I haven't. Look, my boy and me… we had a disagreement over how to conduct a salvage operation… and he took off. I want to... patch things up now. I heard John Skow hired him. Skow captains a fishing boat out of Lands End Pier."

"You want to pay a private investigator three hundred dollars a day, plus expenses, just to bring your son back. Come on, McWhirter… what you've got here is a family problem, save yourself a lot of money." Turk turns to pick up his cowboy hat which he laid on a table next to the door. He is about to open the door when McWhirter's desperate voice stops him.

"Please, Daniels… sit down…" Turk turns to look into the eyes of the older man and sees there is something more serious he isn't telling him. He sits back down and watches McWhirter; he is nervous and wipes his callused hand over his damp brow before he continues, "Look, I called his girlfriend already. Said she hasn't heard from Scott in three days. That's not like him."

Turk pulls out a small notebook and opens to a clean page as he asks, "What's her name?"

"Karen. Karen Walters. This is her number… if you want to contact her." He shoves a scrap of paper across the desk.

"This John Skow guy... where do I find him?"

"His boat is usually at the Lands End pier… that's on the southern part of the bay . His boat is called the Cyclops." McWhirter waits impatiently, wondering if Turk has agreed to take the job or not. "I'm assuming you're taking the case, Mr. Daniels… so there's one more thing… Scott took some of my personal property. A small metal chest. I want it back as soon as you locate him."

"So much for your reconciliation. Now I know why you haven't gone to the cops."

"You just find Scott… and the chest!" His barely contained rage boils over at last.

Turk's eyes bore into the blood shot eyes of the older man and once again he wonders what he isn't telling him. Turk knows one thing for sure… he can't trust this old man. He's using him for some personal and probably illegal reason, but fortunately for him, Turk isn't against taking his money until he figures out just what it is.

******

As the sun sets, artificial lighting units are turned on along an area of shoreline where he's been called out. Gibbs is crouched down beside a corpse, which was washed up sometime in the last twenty-four hours. It was discovered by two joggers about an hour ago. He takes one last look at the bloated, half eaten corpse of a man and then lets the sheet drop back into place over his head. He stands up and walks to where Agent Ziva David is standing with a group of people. Gibbs recognizes the Baltimore homicide detective who greets him as he joins the group.

"Hi Agent Gibbs, two joggers found the body washed up here. Looks like sharks got to him though."

"Detective Devlin was just telling me they called us out because they've been able to ID him."

"How were you able to ID him?"

"He was wearing these dog tags. The sharks took a few bites off him, but these were still around his neck."

Ziva takes the tags from him and turns towards the light to study them. "McWhirter, Scott… with his USN serial number and date of birth. They don't tell us much, I'm afraid."

"Enough. We've got his name, social security number and date of birth. Mack, you have any idea on cause of death… I mean… besides the obvious?"

"Probably drowning. We really won't know until we get the autopsy done… you know, unless you guys are gonna ship him back to your place?"

"Yea, I'll have Ducky make arrangements with your coroner to transfer the remains. You mind if we keep these?" Gibbs holds up the dog tags. We recovered his wallet on a scuttled cabin cruiser the Coast Guard recovered yesterday."

Mack ponders this for a moment, then looks over at the coroner and his assistant as they lift the zippered body bag onto a gurney. "Right. Thanks, Gibbs. Ziva, nice to meet you."

Gibbs sent Ziva along with the body to ensure there were no complications in getting it transferred to Ducky. Knowing Colonel Hollis Mann, or Holly as she preferred to be called, would be interested in this new turn of events, he swung by her office and picked her up. They are both frustrated by this case, which is outside their normal scope of investigations. As Gibbs drives, he glances down at the dog tags again. Holly notices his glance and picks up the tags; closing her hand around the metal as she sighs softly. "Such a waste."

"Yea, but don't shed too many tears for him, Holly. He may very well have been involved in this thing up to his ears. Hey, you wanna stop off for a beer?"

"Sure… I'm easy."

"Yea, right."

Holly has an indignant frown on her face and sits up taller in her seat as she demands, "And just what is that supposed to mean?"

"How long have we been dating?"

"About two years." Her smile tells him she knows where this conversation is heading... again.

"Right. And how many times have I asked you to marry me?"

"May I remind you… again, that a piece of paper isn't necessary. We've got a perfect thing here… why ruin it?"

"Because I'm tired of having you across town. I want you in my bed, Holly."

"I am, Jethro… or have you forgotten already?"

"No, I haven't forgotten… I want you in my bed every night… not just a couple times a week."

"You'll get tired of me if we were together every day. Besides, we are together… with this new

joint task force, we're together almost every day."

He pulls into the parking lot at their local hangout and takes a moment to turn the car off before

he turns in his seat to give her his full attention. The interior of the car is dark, but she can see

the seriousness in his eyes as he leans closer. His hand slides along the back of her seat,

curling around her neck, drawing her closer as he softly repeats, "It's just not enough."

She sighs softly and brings her hand up around his neck as their lips meet. They spend several minutes kissing and Gibbs growls huskily when her lips part to deepen the embrace. He takes the sweetness she offers and each kiss blends into the next until they are breathless and aching for more. When Holly finally pulls back her eyes are glittering with desire, as they always do when he kisses her. Their eyes hold for a long moment and she tries to let him down again… as gently as possible. "Jethro… you know I love you… but… marriage isn't an option."

"Then live with me… move into my house."

"No… I like my house."

"I don't care where I live as long as I'm with you."

"No… I like you in your house… for now." His brow furrows in frustration, having heard all this before, but she doesn't give him a chance to voice it as her lips claim his once more. She kisses him softly as she huskily whispers to him between kisses. "I love you… I'm in love with you…. now how about buying me that beer?"

His arms once again tighten around her as he pulls her close and kisses her hard. His frustration shows in the roughness of his caress. Holly understands his frustration and it tears her apart inside to deceive him like this, but she just can't tell him the truth. She's lived with her secret for so long now it has become a way of life for her.


	2. Chapter 2

**CHAPTER TWO**

If Land's End Pier ever held a special ambiance it was during the early morning light of dawn. With the sky turning from purple to pink to orange as the sun rose over ocean and it almost made this dingy, run down pier seem magical. Tied up out towards the end of the pier was a ship; painted in bold red letters over the rusting black hull was the name _Cyclops_. Fishermen were early risers, but this ship sits idle in her berth while three men swab down her decks. Captain John Skow, Manuel Delgado and Mark Tobin are busily washing down the decks.

At the opposite end of the pier is a small diner, where two sets of eyes watch the activity on the _Cyclops_. Karen Walters is a pretty young woman wearing an apron with the diner's name written across the front, indicating her status as a waitress. She is staring out at the _Cyclops_ as her companion stands beside her. Turk Daniels towers over the petite girl, his gaze narrowed to take in the crew as Karen glances at him, "Skow's the one wearing the red watch cap."

"Scott signed on as a deck hand for that boat, Miss Walters?"

"About two weeks ago... said they were going to fish the waters off the Outer Banks." Karen suddenly seems to realize Turk has an empty coffee cup. "I'm sorry, would you like some more coffee, Mr. Daniels?"

Turk follows her back to the counter where he takes his seat. She absently pushes the container of cream towards him, but he ignores it as he continues with his questions. "When was the last time you heard from Scott?"

"That's the funny thing… he called me from Miami."

"What's so strange about his call from Miami?"

"Everything. They were supposed to be fishing off the Outer Banks, right? But Scott said they pulled into Miami for fuel. There's no reason for the Cyclops to be that far south to get fuel. I could tell… something was wrong. He sounded… well, scared. I mean… you know what a Seal is? Not the animal… the Navy Seals?"

"Yea, frogmen combat assault team for the Navy."

"Exactly, they're the toughest guys out there. Scott spent two years with a Seal team and he doesn't scare easily."

"Karen, tell me about Skow and his crew."

"Skow is tough as nails and ruthless too. The dark skinned guy is Manny Delgado. He's quiet and pretty much keeps to himself. The younger guy… that's Mark Tobin. He's an animal."

Turk notes the scorn in her voice when she speaks about the last man and turns to see a true hatred expressed in her eyes. He wonders if she's had some personal dealings with this Tobin guy. Whatever he'd stumbled into by taking on old man McWhirter's job… it wasn't just about an errant son who dropped out of sight over a disagreement.

******

McWhirter & Son Marine Salvage is dead quiet as the old man sits behind the huge desk holding a set of Navy dog tags. Gibbs held out the dog tags to him and told him they'd found the remains of his son washed up on the shore last night. McWhirter sags back in his chair, staring at the tags until Gibbs finally clears his throat. "Mr. McWhirter, can you tell us where your son was working? Say, during the last two weeks?"

McWhirter continues to stare at the dog tags, but shakes his head in answer to Gibbs's question. Hollis sits forward in her chair. "The sign outside reads McWhirter & Son… was Scott a part of this business?"

McWhirter suddenly stands up, his fist clenched tightly around the dog tags as he shakes them in the direction of Gibbs and Hollis. "You just find out who killed my boy!"

"Mr. McWhirter, the Coast Guard located a cabin cruiser, the _Sea Eagle_. She'd been scuttled ninety miles off the coast. Had Scott ever worked on that boat?"

"No, why?"

"His wallet was found on board."

McWhirter suddenly drops the dog tags onto his desk and turns away to retrieve his bottle of whiskey from the top drawer of the filing cabinet. He takes a healthy swig and then replaces the bottle while Gibbs and Hollis exchange a knowing glance. When he finally turns back to face them he is calmer. "Maybe, he's been around boats his whole life and he had a knack for restoration."

"You've been around boats your whole life too, Mr. McWhirter. Do you have any idea why someone would deliberately scuttle a ninety thousand dollar cabin cruiser?"

"When will Scott's body be available?" He ignores her question as he turns away from the two cops to stare out the grimy window.

"You didn't answer my question."

"I'm in the marine salvage business. I'll leave the theories up to you educated people to figure out… now get out."

Gibbs and Hollis stand up to leave, knowing they won't get any more cooperation from this angry old man. She grabs the dog tags on her way to the door. Aside from being upset over the death of his son, they both sense he is hiding something. As they are heading for the door, Gibbs hesitates a moment and turns back. The old man is glaring at them, with beads of sweat beginning to break out on his upper lip before Gibbs finally turns to leave.

******

Not long after sunset, Gibbs and Holly finally get a break in this case. One of Tony DiNozzo's old Baltimore PD buddies located the hotel where Jack Cahill was last seen. By the time they get there it is dark, which makes this seedy hotel seem like something out of a horror movie. DiNozzo and McGee check with the ancient desk clerk, who confirms Jack Cahill is still registered in room six. They climb the steep stairs leading to the second floor, being careful not to step on the broken areas where the carpet is missing. Exposed wires hang from the ceiling with a bare, glaring light bulbs dangling from the ends. Half of the lights are working, while the others flicker on and off as the power surges through the deteriorating old wiring.

As Gibbs and Holly arrive, they climb the stairs to see Tony and Tim standing on either side of one door. Holly waves, careful not to make any noise to alert anyone inside the rooms. When they are close enough, Hollis quietly points to the door. "Here?"

"Clerk said he was in six, but no one has seen him all week." McGee quickly offers up their information.

"How can you tell? There aren't any numbers on the doors." Tony carefully tips the 'no smoking in bed' sign to the side to reveal a faded number six.

"What do you want for a five dollar a night flop house?" Gibbs grins at her obvious disgust.

"An exterminator… Christ, this place is crawling with cock roaches. Let's get this over with."

"You had to say that, didn't you?" McGee quickly looks at the floor surrounding his feet.

"Well, at least it's not mice… you know how I feel about vermin." Holly tries to sound braver than she feels at the moment.

"I wouldn't look too close into any corners then, Colonel Mann."

"Aagghh! DiNozzo, really? Come on, let's grab this guy and get the hell out of here."

Gibbs smiles at the shiver of revulsion Holly can't quite control and reaches over to knock on the battered room door. There is no answer so he knocks harder the second time and announces, "NCIS!". A sudden hush falls over the entire floor as other occupants stop; hoping the cops aren't here for them. The door creaks loudly and dim light from the hallway filters into the room as McGee releases the latch. DiNozzo points his flashlight into the gloom. The only furniture in the room is a mattress in the corner and it is liberally littered with trash and empty whiskey bottles. Lying in the middle of its squalor is a man, unconscious in a drunken stupor. Gibbs and McGee move around to look at the man, confirming he is in fact still breathing. Tony holds his light on him while Colonel Mann glances nervously at the dark corners of the room where scurrying sounds have her on high alert. "Sure looks like Cahill, boss."

"Well, come on… let's get him out of here."

Tony hands Gibbs his flashlight to keep the man lit up as he and McGee reach into their pockets and pull out heavy duty protective rubber gloves. After quickly slipping them on, they reach down to drag the groggy man to his feet and half drag, half carry him from the room. Gibbs and Holly follow quickly behind… only too glad to be out of that filthy, festering cesspool of a room. Cahill is barely conscious and it takes all their strength to keep him from knocking all three of them down the steep stairs.

"Tony, call Baltimore PD and have him put up for the night in the drunk tank. Believe me, it'll

be better than having him with us while he detoxes."

"Smart thinking, boss." They don't have long to wait and with a patrol car transporting Cahill to

jail, Tony and Tim follow behind in their car to do the paperwork. There isn't anything else that

can be done tonight so Gibbs tells them to call it a night when they're done.

Holly's skin is still crawling from that disgusting hotel and she can't wait to get home and take a shower. Gibbs lives on opposite end of town so she suggests, "You've got clothes at my place?"

"Yea, I'm sure I do."

"Good. Just go back to my house. It's closer and I can't wait to get a shower and get rid of this creepy-crawly feeling. I might even burn my uniform."

"You didn't even touch anything. Think how DiNozzo and McGee feel… they had to carry him out of there."

"I'd rather not think about that, okay? I'm creeped out enough and I just want a hot shower."

"Alone?" His tone is low and suggestive; making Holly smile in response.

"Not necessarily… I might need someone to scrub my back."

"I can do that… but I don't want you to burn my clothes."

They exchange a playful glance and Gibbs winks at her before he turns his attention back to the road. Hollis sighs and slips down in her seat until her head is resting on the back. She closes her eyes and tries to ease the tension from her body on the drive home.

******

The next day, Gibbs is out on the dock, watching the _Cyclops_ slowly make her way back into port after a morning out fishing. From this distance the ship is just a small dot on the horizon, but from the flock of gulls swarming in the air overhead it has to be a fishing vessel. Gibbs faces the horizon, but his smile indicates his mind is on the events of last night after he and Holly arrived home.

_True to her word, Holly couldn't get upstairs and out of her clothes fast enough. While she was bundling them inside a dry cleaning bag he started the shower so it would be ready for her. She came rushing into the bathroom and straight into the shower. There'd be plenty of time for romance after she rid herself of the dirty feeling. He let her have the first few minutes to herself, furiously lathering and scrubbing every inch of her skin. He used this time to grab them each a beer from the kitchen, then remove his own clothes and place them inside the bundle as well. He doubted the clothing was seriously contaminated with anything from that room, but he knew how particular Holly was about stuff like that. _

_He joined her in the shower, feeling his pulse jump at the sight of her. With her skin glowing pink from her scrubbing and the steam swirling around her she was a sensual vision. He steps under the stream of water as she moves around to make room. With water streaming down his back, Gibbs leans in to kiss her wet lips and a soft moan escapes her. He pulls her slippery, soft body against his as his kiss becomes more demanding. _

_Her lips part, surrendering to the invasion of his tongue as her arms slide up around his neck. _

_They spent long minutes lost in slow, wet kisses that blend one into the next until they are both breathless. His hands glide possessively over her slick skin, molding her to his male hardness. She blindly reaches for the soap dispenser and squirts liquid soap into her hand to begin lathering his body. Their lips never part, but she eases him back until she can lather his front. Her hands slide down over his chest, working the soapy lather around on his belly until her hands find the hard shaft of his manhood. She feels him tremble as she begins to work her hands over him. He breaks the kiss to groan huskily, loving the feel of her hands as she expertly arouses him. He rests his brow against her, his eyes locked with hers as she watches his passion flicker in them. After several minutes he takes a deep, shuddering breath and finally puts an end to her torture as his hands rest over hers, stilling them._

"_Mmmnnn … you're driving me crazy, but… it's been days and I need you bad."_

_Without another word, Holly brings her hands up to curl around his neck, arching herself against him as he lifts her up with ease. She wraps her legs around his waist, allowing him to position her hips for his entry. Their lips meet in a passionate embrace as he pins her between the tile wall and himself. He slowly eases inside her and a soft moan escapes her as his hands guide her down until she is fully impaled on his shaft. _

_He breaks the kiss to huskily growl, "Ooohhh… sweet Jesus, you feel so good."_

"_You say that every time…"_

"_Because its true… every time…"_

_He holds her gaze as they spend long minutes lost in this slow motion dance of slow, deep kisses that match the rhythm of his hips. He knows just how to excite her and Holly finally pulls back, panting softly as her head falls back against the wall. Her glazed eyes meet his and he feels her tremble as the tidal wave of pleasure builds inside her. Her fingers glide through his damp hair as she breathlessly whispers in his ear._

"_Mmmnnn… please…"_

_He continues to torment her by moving slowly as he places his lips on hers throat and growls, "Yea… talk to me, honey… tell me what you want."_

"_Aahh… Jethro… please… I need you…"_

"_Hhmm… you want it like this?" He begins to thrust faster, but still holds back as Holly moans in frustration. He torments her further by angling his thrusts to keep her on the edge of insanity, but not allowing her to fall. She tightens her legs around his waist, arching against him as she tries to reposition his thrusts. His hands tighten on her hips, holding her still as he roughly growls again, "Talk to me, Holly… tell me where you want it."_

"_Honey… please… I need you… mmmnnn… deep inside me… aahh… yes!"_

_Her husky words, breathed against his lips excite him also and he groans deep in his throat as he begins to thrust hard and deep. She is held captive, pinned against the wall as he rams into her. The spiral of pleasure overcomes them and their moans mingle in a frantic kiss. Time seems to stand still when Holly suddenly breaks the kiss, overcome by wave after wave of ecstasy to cry out huskily. Gibbs drives deep one last time and rests his head weakly against hers as his entire body trembles. _

Just then Gibbs is jerked back from his memories of the night before when Tony's hand comes down on his shoulder. **"**Boss! Hello?"

"What…?"

"Man, I said your name three times and you just stared off into space like you were in a

trance." He'd been so lost in his memories he hadn't even noticed the boat's arrival. He turns

away from them on the pretense of scanning the area, but discreetly runs his hand down over his

levis… making sure there isn't any visible sign of his thoughts.

Gibbs turns to DiNozzo and McGee standing beside him now, "Oh, sorry… I was… aahh… lost in thought. What's up?"

"The _Cyclops_? Remember, the boat we're waiting for? They're just tying up to the pier now."

Gibbs turns to see the fishing boat has indeed arrived. One deck hand is in the process of tying up to the pier and Gibbs takes a deep breath as he pulls himself together. He motions for them to head down the length of the pier to where the _Cyclops_ is now moored. His plan was to stay out of sight for a while; let his lead agents handle the investigation. There are three men on the pier, having just come off the _Cyclops_. They eye the newcomers suspiciously as they approach until Tony flips out his flat badge and identifies himself.

"NCIS. I'm Agent DiNozzo. We're looking for Captain John Skow?"

"That would be me. You guys go on ahead… I'll catch up."

The other two men hurry on their way while Tony gives them a careful inspection as they pass. Delgado keeps his eyes averted, but Tobin looks them in the eye, glaring with obvious dislike.

"You two harbor patrol?"

"No, we're NCIS. Can we talk to you?"

"Sure… want to talk on board? I got paperwork to fill out." Tony motions with his hand for Captain Skow to lead the way. They board the boat and head up to the wheelhouse. Once inside, Skow walks directly to a small refrigerator under a counter at the rear of the small room. He pulls out a beer and pops it open as McGee takes a close look around the room. As if reading his thoughts, Skow takes a deep drink from his beer and then comments, "Go ahead, Agent, take a good look. It's just a fishing boat."

"We haven't even told you why we're here, Captain."

"Why are you here?"

"We've discovered a body… Scott McWhirter. We heard he was a deck hand on the _Cyclops_."

"Nice kid. Word around here is he drowned… fell overboard or something."

"After he shipped out on the _Cyclops,_ right?"

They can tell Skow is nervous about their line of questioning as he downs the last of his beer and crushes the can with one hand. He looks Tony in the eye and lowers his voice to a deadly tone.

"That almost sounds like an accusation…"

"It's a very simple question, Mr. Skow. A simple yes or no will answer it just fine."

"Or… I could refuse to answer it completely... after all, I ain't in the Navy."

"You could… but then the Coast Guard could also hold a special board of inquiry…during which time your boat would be impounded."

There is a long tense silence as the three men glare at each other. Skow obviously trying to decide if Agent DiNozzo is bluffing, but what he sees in his eye convinces him he isn't. Skow is the first to look away, blowing out a long heavy sigh as he turns to toss the beer can into a corner with a loud belch. "Okay… Scott hired on two weeks ago for a percentage of the catch. Makes them work harder."

"So he did ship out of here on the _Cyclops._"

"Yea, we fished down to the Outer Banks then back up, but after a week with hardly any fish, we pulled into Virginia Beach. Scott decided to shove off… said he was gonna try his luck on another boat. That's it.… all he said was it was heading south."

"And I guess it's just a coincidence that his body was recovered here within twenty-four hours of your return to port."

"Call it what you want… but the last time I saw him was in Virginia Beach."

McGee glances over at DiNozzo, who nods slightly in agreement. Then he turns back to Skow, stepping a little closer to intimidate the man. "I think we'd like to take you up on that offer to look around."

"Sure… just as soon as you show me that warrant. No? Then let me escort you to the dock, gentlemen."

Tim and Tony exchange another look of frustration as they turn and head back outside. They don't even bother to look back as they walk away from the _Cyclops_, they know Captain Skow is still standing there… watching them every step of the way back up the pier. The NCIS agents turn the opposite way at the parking lot and don't see Turk sitting in his car watching them.


	3. Chapter 3

**CHAPTER THREE**

After a night in the drunk tank, Jack Cahill is somewhat sober and wondering how he got here. He doesn't have to wait long before man shows up, looking more like a lawyer than Jack cares for, to let him out. Cahill is surprised when the guy flips out a flat badge.

"Mr. Cahill… I'm Special Agent McGee, NCIS. Will you come with me, please?"

"I don't know what you want, but I didn't do it, officer."

"I'm sure you didn't, sir. Now if you'll just follow me we'll get you out of here."

Jack is confused… more by his friendly manner than anything, but decides it's better than sitting in the drunk tank so he follows Agent McGee down the hallway. After a few formalities where he has to sign for his belongings, they walk out into the fresh morning air. The daylight hurts Jack's eyes; it's been many months since he was outside during the day. Having slid into depression and drunkenness after his wife's death, Jack spent the last six months trying to kill himself with whiskey. Now it appears he's managed to do something to get himself in trouble… and he didn't even remember what.

Tim leads him to a car outside and holds the door open for him to get in. Jack hesitates, but when Tim motions with his hand he complies. They drive to a moderately nice hotel, but by Jack's standards it could have been the Wilshire. Once in the elevator, Tim notices Jack absently brushing at the stained and dirty clothing. "Don't worry… we'll have you out of those clothes and into some clean ones soon. I brought a few things for you."

"But… I ain't got no... Why… would you do that? What's this all about?"

"It'll all be explained to you when my boss gets here, Mr. Cahill." They step off the elevator and walk down the hall to room 710. McGee is careful to lock the chain on the door. Cahill notices and sighs, realizing he's still in custody by the way this cop is acting.

Jack turns to find Tim at his elbow, directing him into the bathroom. "There's everything you need… soap, shampoo… razor… disposable of course… and clean clothes. Don't come out until you smell a whole lot better. And Mr. Cahill… I'll be waiting right out here so keep that in mind."

Tim pushes him into the bathroom, confused as the door closes behind him. What the hell was going on! Jack is getting pretty worried he is just about to turn around and leave when he catches a glimpse of himself in the mirror. God, was that him? Did he really look this bad? Maybe the cop was right… he did need a shower and a shave, but with the way his hands are shaking it was a good thing he only had the disposable razor. Jack stares at his reflection for a long moment, then sighs tiredly and steps up to the sink to attempt to shave.

About an hour later Jack Cahill emerges from the bathroom looking like a different person. The clothes he has on are slightly baggy on his gaunt frame, but anything is better than what he'd been wearing for the last few months. His face is clean shaven however several pieces of toilet tissue testify to how unsteady his hands are. His hair is long, but combed back over his head in a neat manner. He scans the room and is surprised to see a woman seated at the table beside Agent McGee. She gets up to greet him with a polite smile.

"Mr. Cahill. Why don't you have a seat over here. I brought you some soup… and I'm sure you could use it."

"Look, sister… whoever you are…"

"Name's Agent Ziva David."

"Okay, Agent David… I don't need any charity soup, all right? You really want to help me?"

"Yes, I do, Jack."

"Good… then get your pretty butt down to the nearest liquor store and get me a bottle of whiskey… or whatever they have... I got the shakes bad!"

Cahill is suffering from a massive hangover and withdrawals from being sober for the first time in months. McGee stands up and comes to intercept Cahill's anger. "Hey, listen up, buddy. You crawl back into that bottle and you'll be dead in a month."

"That's my business! Who the hell are you people… and what do you want with me!"

"We're NCIS, Mr. Cahill. We picked you up last night."

Cahill is obviously confused and wondering how he can get out of here. He needs a drink badly and turns towards the door in the hopes of getting away from these do-gooders. He doesn't make it three steps before Tim and Ziva are on either side of him, grabbing his arms to turn him back towards the table. They escort him to a chair as Ziva gently scolds him. "No you don't, Mr. Cahill… even if you could… no."

"Let me go! I need a bottle and…"

"Just sit tight, Cahill… you're not going anywhere." Cahill struggles weakly to get up, but then is overcome from his exertion and collapses in his chair, retching uncontrollably. McGee grabs a trash can and slides it between his feet, but not having eaten in a while, there was nothing to expel. When he can finally sit up again, he glares at them both, "What is this? Are the cops running a mission to help wayward sailors now?"

"No, we're here because we need your help, Mr. Cahill."

"You need my help? Sister, if you need my help… you better just abandon ship right now!"

Ziva holds his bloodshot stare for a long moment and then sighs at the truth in his words. This very well may be a lost cause, but she keeps that to herself. "Eat your soup."

Tim has backed off, but stays close enough to control Cahill if he should try to leave again. Just then there is a knock at the door and Ziva goes to answer it. "Hello, Gibbs."

Gibbs comes in and Ziva carefully relocks the door before following him. "Not much better than last night, he's got the DT's pretty bad." McGee nods at his boss's observation. Cahill is attempting to eat a few spoonfuls of soup, but his hand is shaking so badly he is spilling most of it. Gibbs watches for a moment and then turns at Tim's question.

"How did you make out with Skow?"

They see Cahill tense at the mention of Skow's name with his spoon suspended half way to his mouth, before it clatters back into the bowl. "He said he last saw the McWhirter kid in Virginia Beach."

Cahill still doesn't turn around, "McWhirter? Scott McWhirter?"

"Yea, you know him?"

"You could say that. I took him to sea when he was only nine years old. Best damned sailor around… even then."

The three exchange a glance and then Ziva comes to sit across the table from Cahill. "Scott's dead. He may have drowned."

"That boy didn't drown! Hell, he could swim forever…"

"You know John Skow?"

"Yea… I know him." The hatred is evident in the tone of his voice.

"We think he may be involved in Scott's death." Gibbs sits down. "Mr. Cahill… we were hoping you could help us catch Skow and his crew..."

"Simple… watch his boat. If he's up to something it'll have to do with the boat… oh, and try the Rusty Bucket. It's a bar he hangs out at a lot."

Tim waves his understanding at Gibbs' look and heads for the door. Jack Cahill now looks from Gibbs to Ziva, realizing for the first time they are investigating John Skow. "You out to nail, Skow?" He takes their silence as affirmation and leans his elbows on the table. "Let me tell you a little bit about John Skow…" His soup is now forgotten as he goes into a long, detailed history of what he knows about John Skow.

Gibbs takes notes in the little pad he carries in his pocket. Maybe Scott McWhirter stumbled into one of Skow's other schemes and got himself killed for being in the wrong place at the wrong time. From what they've heard about Scott, he just he just doesn't seem a part of Skow's operation. Up until the point his body washed up on shore, Scott hadn't had a single run-in with the law during his short life.

******

A new plan forms after his discussion with Cahill. With Tony working surveillance outside the bar, Ziva would work inside to infiltrate the crusty group at the Rusty Bucket and see what they could learn about Skow's operations.

Gibbs and Holly, on the other hand were keeping an eye on Skow's boat… which had absolutely no activity. Holly is crouched down in her seat with her feet crossed, reading a magazine. Gibbs's seat is reclined somewhat, but he still has clear view of the _Cyclops_. A smile tugs at the corner of his mouth as he recalls the night before; images scrolling through his head. Holly glances up from her magazine.

"What's got you smiling? It can't be anything around here. Its deader than dead out there."

"It's after ten, Holly. Fishermen don't usually work the night shift. But come three in the morning this place will be hopping."

"We're not going to be here at three, right?"

"No. Our replacements will be here in another hour. I've got Tom Reyes and Mike Hayes coming out at eleven."

"Andy and Lenny going to stay put all night with Cahill?"

"Yea, I just had them rotate their hours. No sense in parading a bunch of different faces in front of Cahill. He'd probably think he was hallucinating."

"Yea, I bet he's a real charmer about now."

"I told Andy to buy him some beer. It may take the edge off his DT's."

Holly sits up and stretches as she looks around the deserted pier. Her gaze moves from boat to boat and she notices a few luxury cruisers moored at various points not far from shore. "Maybe we should invest in a cabin cruiser. Then we can take off and go cruising up and down the coast for vacation."

"I have a boat... but I haven't used it in a long time."

"So, you're telling me you're not comfortable boating?"

"Boating is fine…just a lot of memories tied to my boat."

"You mean Shannon and Kelly?"

"Yep… and before you ask… yes, I'm aware it's something I need to work out."

She turns to look at him, she never heard about any of his past life until that day she unknowingly played that cassette tape in his basement. His head tilts toward her and their eyes meet in that typical Gibbs challenge. "It's better left in the past."

"Okay… so, how about we buy an RV and go traveling around the big, dry country?"

"I've got a better idea. Why don't you spend the night at my place tonight."

"Jethro… we just…"

"I know, but I'd like to see what it's like to wake up next to you two days in a row."

"You know I have my volunteer duty tomorrow."

"I know… I just want to hold you tonight. Come on… be brave."

"I'm not afraid to stay with you."

"Sure you are… you're afraid if you spend two days in a row with me you'll like it so much you'll never leave."

Holly doesn't answer right away as she once again scans the surrounding area. She needs a moment to compose herself because his questions have hit too close to home. After a tense moment of silence she finally looks back to him, one brow arched to tease, "That's not true… I need at least one day in between to recuperate… sometimes two."

Gibbs laughs, knowing she is referring to their active sex life. He reaches over to take her hand in his, bringing it to his lips as he kisses it. "Come on, Holly… I promise I'll behave, all right? I just want you there with me."

She studies him for a long moment and then finally gives in. One thing she's never been able to do is resist his charm. "Okay… but I have to be up and out of there by eight. I can't be late for my volunteer duty at the hospital."

"I'll personally kick your butt out of bed in plenty of time." They continue to hold hands, but lapse into a peaceful silence. Gibbs doesn't say anything, but maybe a little shake up in their routine would convince her to live with him or even getting married.

******

At the other end of the bay, Turk Daniels is sitting in the cramped office at McWhirter & Son Marine Salvage. McWhirter met him at the gate, rolling it back on its squeaking wheel to allow him to drive into the yard. Turk noticed the way McWhirter's eyes shift nervously around, torn between wondering if this old guy is crazy or just paranoid.

"My son is dead. The Navy cops were here earlier. They showed me Scott's dog tags. They said he washed up on shore. They think he drowned."

"But you don't."

"No, I don't."

Their eyes meet across the desk and when McWhirter remains silent Turk stands up to leave. "Then I guess my job is done here."

"Sit down." McWhirter picks up an envelope he had lying on the desk and holds it out to Turk. "Here's five thousand dollars… find out who murdered my son."

"If you're right… and it was murder, I think the police could do this job for you… for free."

"I don't need those white knights making a crusade out of this. I just want you to find out who… I'll take care of the rest."

He pushes the envelope across the desk towards Turk and the unspoken message in his eyes says it all. Turk hesitates a moment and then reaches out to take the envelope. He opens it and thumbs through the bills in a quick count. "When you've got a name, call me." He takes Turk's silence as agreement he'll do the job, but just to be sure he stops Turk as he is leaving. "Start with John Skow…"

"Just a name? That's all you want?"

"Get me the name, Daniels… I'll take it from there. Oh, one more thing… you still have to find my property and return it to me." Turk looks at McWhirter long and hard, seeing him clearly for the first time. As Turk drives away from the wharf district he sighs tiredly, pulling to a stop at a red light. He'd been called away from his hotel before he could order that steak and beer he wanted; and now he was really looking forward to it.

******

Early the next morning, after a restful night spent holding Holly in his arms, Gibbs wants more than ever to share her life... her entire life. Holly wasn't the first woman to catch his eye… but she was different. Gibbs was possessive and he didn't want any other man to steal what he had and Holly's reluctance to let him into her life... that part of her time she insisted on keeping secret had him worried. This morning was no different.

At just after eight, Hollis comes out the front door; in a hurry as she gets in the car and pulls out to drive off. Gibbs curses under his breath as he waits a moment and then slips out the door to follow after her. This goes against every one of Gibbs' rules, but at the moment he didn't care... he needed to know more about Holly's life when she was away from him.

He follows her to the Bryant Memorial Care Center, watching as she parks and hurries inside. Gibbs can't help being the investigator and waits a few minutes and then follows her inside. He glances into every room, hoping to see her, but after half an hour he still hasn't found her.

He is just about to give up and head back outside when he passes by a window on the second floor. Movement outside catches his attention and he stops to look out onto a well manicured lawn. There are patients sitting around in wheel chairs or on gurneys under the cover of large shade trees. Through the branches of one tree, Gibbs has a clear view of Hollis, sitting on a bench beside a gurney. On the gurney lies a man, obviously very sick with an oxygen mask on. Hollis is holding his hand as she smiles warmly and carries on a conversation, but once or twice he sees her quickly dab a tear from her eye.

Gibbs is riveted to the scene and watches them for almost an hour before a nurse approaches and says something to Hollis. Hollis nods, standing up to walk along beside the gurney as the nurse wheels the man back to the building. Gibbs flies down the emergency stairwell… wanting to see which room Hollis and the unknown man go into. He doesn't see them in the hallway and ventures out carefully. He silently approaches each room, but stops out of sight to listen at number ten.

"You just rest for a few minutes, sweetheart. I'll only be a little while… and when I get back we'll finish that book you enjoy so much. It won't take long, okay?"

Gibbs is more baffled than ever, but doesn't have time to think about it as he hurries back into the emergency stairwell before Holly comes out to see him there. Gibbs now makes his way towards the private office of Dr. Ali Sahmood, where he saw her enter. He leans against the wall, as if waiting for someone. He can just make out the conversation and what he hears isn't good news. Hollis is obviously upset and the doctor is patiently explaining that her husband, Greg, has lasted far longer than anyone ever thought he would. Hollis demands to know if there is anything else that can be done and the lengthy silence inside says more than words. By the time Hollis has since finished her meeting with Doctor Sahmood, Gibbs is gone.


	4. Chapter 4

**CHAPTER FOUR**

After Gibbs left the care home he drove around aimlessly trying to put all the pieces in place. Hollis, was married to a man who was paralyzed for the past seven years... and his condition was getting critical now; as the doctor told her. Gibbs has known her only three years, but she sure hasn't acted like a married woman. Maybe after all these years she decided to lead her own life… away from the care home. It was obvious she still loved the man; actually she was a woman trying to love a shell of a man. He heads back to the office, after all… he had a killer to catch.

******

Ziva grabs her stuff and heads to the locker room to transform herself into Trixie, the dockside waitress at the Rusty Bucket. When 'Trixie' returns to the bullpen, she finds the guys all assembled and waiting for her. Gibbs smiles at the outfit as the other guys make comments about her 'fitting the part'.

"All right, children… can we get to work?" As usual, Gibbs' growled order is quickly obeyed.

Ziva, I'm sending you in with DiNozzo outside to cover you. Maybe you can overhear something as the waitress."

"Are there even barmaids in such a place?"

"Yea… not as nice as you, but not bad." DiNozzo's eyebrows raise suggestively at her.

"Thank you. So, it's a Trixie kind of crowd?" Ziva gives him an exaggerated curtsey.

"Absolutely… but you might want to wear the Kevlar panties. I hear those guys are part lobster." DiNozzo gets a head slap as his fingers make pinching motions towards her, and a glare from Gibbs reminds him to keep his mind out of the gutter.

Tony and Ziva arrive in plenty of time to talk to the bar's owner… who insists they have his full cooperation… as long as they don't yank his liquor license. It takes only a call from the owner to convince the bartender that Ziva will be filling in for the other girl tonight. It had happened before so the bartender simply shrugs and says he'll keep an eye on her. Ziva shows up twenty minutes later and introduces herself to the bartender as Trixie Larue. He eyes her appreciatively and tosses an apron her way as he explains that all tips get split with the bartender and not to try and skim any from him because he'll be watching her. Ziva plays her part well and rolls her eyes as she smacks her gum loudly and turns away to begin work. As the sun goes down, the place steadily fills up until there is very little room to maneuver between the tables. True to Tony's word, Ziva finds herself being patted and pinched several times as she carries heavy trays from the bar to the tables.

Outside, Turk has just arrived in the parking lot. The surveillance unit covering the front of the bar don't see him, but he catches sight of them watching the three crew members of the Cyclops as they walk past his car. DiNozzo is across the street watching as Turk suddenly opens his door in the face of Mark Tobin, bringing him up short. Delgado and Skow are right behind him and they also stop short when their path between the vehicles is blocked. Tobin sees the man starting to get out of the car and abruptly shoves the door closed, almost pinning Turk's legs in the door. Turk was ready for him and meets force with force, holding the door from smashing his legs.

"Pull your legs back in or I'll break em' off!"

"Easy partner… no harm done."

Tobin eases the pressure just enough to allow Turk to pull his legs back, then he slams the door shut and continues on his way. Delgado and Skow both glare at Turk as they go by, but don't say anything. Turk waits until they are past then gets out to call after them, "Sorry, buddy… can I buy you a beer?" They ignore him and continue into the bar. Across the street, DiNozzo shakes his head at the dumb cowboy.

Once inside Turk allows his eyes to adjust to the gloomy lighting. This bar is just like hundreds of others he's been in… cheap nautical decorations adorn the walls, a fishing net is suspended from the ceiling, a juke box blares out songs and the room is filled with long shoremen, fishermen and sailors. He sees one empty booth, which happens to be next to where Skow and his two apes have decided to sit. He can overhear some of the conversation in the next booth.

"We should be ready to off-load after midnight."

"What about the cops?"

Turk smiles as he realizes he's already heard everything he needs to hear from them. Whatever is going to happen it will be on the boat after midnight. He returns his attention to the waitress as she skirts around a table next to him. She has her back to the booths carrying a heavy tray of drinks, but she doesn't move. It doesn't take Skow long to become suspicious of her inactivity. Turk sees it to and intervenes, "Hey, darlin' how about one of them beers?"

"Hold your horses, Tex..."

Ziva pivots with the tray still held aloft on her upturned hand just as Turk stands up beside her. He intentionally bumps her tray, sending the glasses of beer clattering to the floor. The glasses shatter and beer splatters all over Skow and his companions' legs. The crash causes instant silence in the crowded bar as everyone turns to see the commotion. Ziva stares in stunned silence, but Manuel Delgado is instantly out of his seat. He advances on her in a rage. "You clumsy broad! Look what you did! That beer splashed all…!"

"Whoa there, fella'… just calm down. I believe that was my mistake."

Delgado is standing toe to toe with Turk, who stepped in between him and the clumsy waitress. His eyes filled with rage and hatred for the man who has twice inconvenienced him tonight. Turk towers over him by several inches, but Delgado has his fists clenched at his sides. He is just bringing them up to take a swing when Skow gruffly barks out an order to his deck hand.

"Manny! Sit down… now!"

Delgado hesitates a moment, but then wipes the beer from his jeans and slides back in the booth.

Turk backs down, turning back to see Ziva kneeling on the floor, picking up pieces of broken glass. He kneels down to help her as he sets the broken shards on her tray. With no fight to watch, the other patrons quickly return to their conversations and forget about the clumsy barmaid. Ziva's eyes come angrily up to Turk's, but he merely grins. "Hi, darlin', I'm a friend."

She doesn't reply, but Turk winks, letting her know he understands her position here in the bar. They can't talk now and Turk watches as she stands up and hurries back to the bar with the mess on her tray. Turk resumes his seat in the booth to watch her being lectured by the bartender for several minutes. Ziva finally returns with a fresh tray of drinks and slams a mug down harder than necessary to let him know she's mad at him. He tosses a five dollar bill onto her tray and smiles sweetly as he tells her to keep the change. She hurries away to continue delivering drinks.

Later, Ziva is beginning to lose her patience, both with her inability to overhear anything from Skow and the rude patrons who keep pinching her. She has only managed to hear bits of the conversation and discovered that something is happening tonight. She is trying to make her way over close again when she sees Delgado finish off the last of his beer and make his way through the crowd towards the front door. Turk also stands up, but heads towards the back hallway and the restrooms. Ziva watches him go right past them and out the back door, realizing he intends to tail Delgado. What she doesn't know is that Turk has a much more direct method in mind. Once outside he hurries around to the front in time to intercept the angry Mexican; blocking his path once again.

Delgado hesitates only a moment before he advances on Turk, intent on finishing what he started inside. Turk lets him get close as Delgado draws one fist back, but he never gets the chance. With lightening fast jabs, Turk quickly has Delgado lying on the pavement, stunned and bleeding from the nose. Turk steps up to place his foot in the middle of his chest. He presses down hard enough to hold him in place as he bends down to growl at the smaller man. "All right, maggot… let's have a talk…"

******

Ziva waits until Skow and Tobin have also left the bar before she takes a break to call Gibbs to let him know what little she was able to overhear. The bartender comes around the end of the bar to grab her arm. "Hey! Where the hell do you think you're going?"

"Home, pal… I've had enough of these bottom feeders."

"I got news for you, honey… the night ain't over yet. You got two more hours to work and you ain't gonna short me on my tips."

"Here… you can have it all. I'm out of here."

She pushes her apron into his hands and heads for the door without a look back. The bartender quickly searches the pocket to find almost one hundred dollars in tip money for these last four hours. He is shocked to see so much money, but he's even more stunned that she gave it all to him. He starts to call after her, but when he looks up Ziva is gone.

Outside, Ziva weaves her way through the other cars. She stops several feet away from her car, staring in disbelief at the man, Turk Daniels, who appears to be napping in her car. She sighs heavily, wondering again who this annoying man is and what connection he had to their investigation. She unlocks her door and slides in behind the wheel. Turk casually sits up, eyeing her with a slight smile as Ziva scolds him. "It was locked."

"Your spare… under the left front fender? You really should hide it better than that." She snatches the key from him and drops it into her purse and then takes a moment to put her own key in the ignition. Turk watches her with a smile until she lets out a long, slow breath and finally looks over at him with a slight smirk.

"And just who are you, Mr. Texas Ranger?"

"I'm not a Texas Ranger... anymore. Name's Turk Daniels."

"Yea, well, you're a long way from Texas."

Turk has turned in his seat to face her and now casually runs his arm along the back of her seat. Leaning closer his fingers slip under her hair to caress her neck. Ziva quickly grabs his hand, twisting it into a painful hold as she puts him in his place.

"You move one muscle and I will cripple your hand, is that understood?" Turk winces in pain and nods his head, "Now why are you here?"

"Thought you might need some intel on what's going on with that bottom feeder, Skow." Ziva reluctantly allows his hand to relax and he eases back in his seat. Obviously this was not a woman to be flirted with. "You are interested in John Skow, right?"

"I saw your partner there... across the street coming off Skow's boat yesterday. Now, I find you here, obviously working undercover in this dive. Even for an old country boy like me, it's not hard to figure out. I got some info that can help ya'll out."

Ziva relaxes and reluctantly smiles at him as she starts her car, "I love your Texas drawl."

"Well, I aim to please, but don't forget I spent some time playing cop too. You don't have to tell me what's up, but I want Skow out of business as much as you do, all right?"

Their eyes meet for a long moment. Ziva doesn't want to give details of their investigation, but she agrees to listen to Turk laying out his involvement. When he is done she nods her agreement to pass on the information to Gibbs. Before she can stop him, he pats her cheek, grinning as he gets out of her car.

******

With the new information quickly relayed to him by Ziva, Gibbs and Tony are able to scramble the Coast Guard to assist. What she didn't tell him was where that information came from. With the Coast Guard cutter waiting out of sight, Gibbs and Tony watch as Skow returns to the _Cyclops_ and quickly puts out to sea. He appears to be in a hurry and Tony casually comments on the flurry of activity. "Where do you think he's headed at this time of night... all alone?"

"I don't know, but I'll bet it ain't fishing."

The Coast Guard cutter silently moves out of the harbor, still in virtual darkness and staying as close to the shore as their sonar will allow. They track the _Cyclops _on radar for about an hour, following it down the coast until it comes to a stop about a mile off shore. The cutter continues to hug the shoreline as it keeps pace with the fishing boat. Captain Matt Clark, Gibbs and DiNozzo all stand around the radar monitor, watching the green arm swing around in circles.

"No idea what he's up to?"

"Nope. Our undercover person only overheard a part of the conversation about this rendezvous, offloading something and the time."

"Well, he's got company… and they're coming in fast."

The screen that had been monitoring one stationary blip now indicates a fast moving, smaller blip headed straight for the first. They watch for a moment and then the Captain turns to Gibbs.

"It's your show. You call the shots, Agent Gibbs."

"He's got radar too. How close can we get before they see us?"

"We're in tight enough to the shoreline and we've got radar jamming capabilities. Unless he's got the night vision, he won't know we're here. If he gets preoccupied with the other boat, we could get right up on them before we light them up."

"All right… let's go."

The Captain turns to his helmsman and gives him a nod, having full confidence in his team to carry out the mission. Suddenly the engines roar to life and then settle down to a low hum, as he pushes the throttle up slowly. The sleek cutter moves forth in the water; causing Tony to grab the edge of the radar console to keep from losing his balance. Gibbs and the Captain just grin and return their attention to the radar.

On the _Cyclops,_ Skow was too busy with the new arrival to keep an eye on the radar screen. He is waiting in the gunwale as the smaller, high powered speed boat slows down and comes drifting in close beside him. Tobin puts the speed boat in neutral and then rushes out to toss a rope up to Skow. "Everything went smooth." He reaches down for a small suitcase that had been stowed behind the seat. Holding it up for Skow to take, but Skow just frowns scanning the smaller boat.

"Where's Delgado?"

"He didn't show."

"Didn't show! Who handled the other…?" Before he can finish his question he gets his answer as they are suddenly illuminated by the powerful spotlight on the Coast Guard cutter. A loud PA system blares out through the still night.

"**This is the US Coast Guard… cut your engines and prepare to be boarded!"**

Both men stand dumbfounded for a moment and then Skow reacts as if suddenly struck by lightning. His mind quickly puts the pieces together as he flings the rope back at Tobin.

"Damn, that Mexican! Shove off! Get out of here!"

Tobin throws the suitcase up to Skow and dives for the controls as he shoves the throttle up into high gear. As the two boats part, the cutter's spotlight quickly scans from one to the other. Gibbs curses under his breath and points after the speed boat as Captain Clark gives the order to pursue the smaller speed boat. The huge engines roar to life as they take off after the fleeing boat, leaving the lumbering fishing vessel behind them.

Captain Clark shakes his head, "We're going wide open and he's pulling away from us with ease… if he gets close to the shore we'll lose him on the radar." They continue the chase until the faster speed boat finally disappears from the screen.

Gibbs can barely contain his frustration as he curses and slams his fist down on the radar console. They throttle down and make a wide arcing turn back towards home, intent on catching up to the fishing boat if they can locate it again. Unknown to them, the speed boat is closer than they realize. In total darkness Tobin now watches the cutter from behind a rocky cove entrance. He grins to himself and reaches down to open the flood valve. As the boat begins to sink, Tobin calmly dives overboard and swims to shore.

******

The next morning things are very tense in the NCIS office. Gibbs is in a bad mood after coming up empty handed on last night's raid of Skow's boat. They had located it almost back to port and the cutter ordered it to proceed there under their watchful eye. Once the _Cyclops_ had docked in her usual spot the Coast Guard, along with DiNozzo and McGee had boarded her to interrogate Captain John Skow. Much to their surprise he gave them permission to search his boat… which they did with extreme thoroughness.

Now, sitting in the bullpen, Gibbs gulps down his third cup of coffee as he sits with the phone to one ear, listening impatiently. Hollis hadn't accompanied them on the raid last night, but heard from SecNav that the operation hadn't turned out well. She heads directly towards Gibbs, curious as to why he didn't call her last night after they'd gotten back. She waits as he ends his call, "Okay, just let me know if you turn up anything else." He turns his attention to her as she sips her own coffee.

"I heard on the way in."

"That was the Coast Guard. They just recovered the speed boat we chased. Found it scuttled just off the coast in about fifteen feet of water."

"Anything on the owner?"

"The boat was reported stolen from National Harbor yesterday."

"And Skow?"

"We boarded his boat… he gave us consent to search… and we found a suitcase with sixty thousand dollars in it."

"Fishing that good?"

"No, I'm sure he just pulled his boat up to a drive-in bank. Holly, this guy is cool… I mean, met with the speed boat… we saw them side by side out in the middle of nowhere. He claims he was pulling lobster traps when this guy just comes along side him and asks to buy some fresh lobsters."

"What'd he say about the money? The guy on the speed boat give it to him?"

"He claims he sold the whole catch to the guy."

"You know anyone who meets a fisherman out at sea, at midnight to buy sixty thousand

dollars worth of lobster?" There is a silence as they both take long sips of their coffee.

Holly comes to sit in a chair opposite him. Just then, Ziva comes to join them, having been

requested to relay the information she got the night before in detail. "You wanted me to tell you,

about the information I received last night?"

Gibbs is tired and upset. He sighs heavily and runs his fingers through his hair. "Let's go over what you heard, word by word, from last night."

It is now Ziva's turn to look nervous as she shrugs her shoulders and reluctantly admits what she skipped last night. "I didn't actually overhear anything worthwhile in the bar, Gibbs."

"Then how…?"

"I ran into… aahh… this guy, a Texas private investigator, Turk Daniels, in the bar. He met me outside."

"Turk Daniels! Who the hell is that?"

"Apparently he is in town on a case… our case."

Gibbs feels the anger welling up inside him at this new complication. He turns his glare from Ziva to Holly now, wondering who this cowboy was and what his involvement was in their case.

Holly seemed surprised... but not upset. "Did you know about this?"

"Gibbs! No... I would have told you!"

"Come on… lets go." Hollis jumps up to follow, not knowing where they're going, but she

doesn't dare ask. She hurries after him as he strides towards the elevator, worried at Gibbs'

apparent anger at her.

It doesn't take her long to realize they are heading to the hotel where they have Jack Cahill stashed. He is still under protective custody and when they arrive two of their agents, Jake Barnes and Phil Harris, are involved in a game of cards. Cahill doesn't look much better today, still shaking and moaning on the bed as he cramps up from the withdrawals. Jake Barnes, not picking up on Gibbs' bad mood, closes the door after letting them in and jokingly comments,

"Am I glad to see you two… he's into me for my next paycheck."

"So, what's shakin' boss? Any word on Skow or his troops?"

"Do I pay you to sit around playing cards? God Damn it! This whole operation is one big

screw up!"

Hollis stops in her tracks, not liking the anger in his voice as he once again glares at her across the room. The two agents realize something is amiss and jump up to sweep the cards from the table in an attempt to hide the obvious evidence. "AgentGibbs, I'm sorry..."

He turns his back on them and sighs in frustration as he stares down at Cahill. Turning back to the two men suddenly, Gibbs demands, "Either of you know how to sail a boat!" Jake and Phil both shake their heads, unsure if that is the right answer or not. "Great! We've arranged to use a charter fishing boat seized by customs and this guy can't even stand on his own two feet! Now I don't have a captain... so who's gonna act as bait for those guys?"

"You're a sailor, aren't you, boss? I mean... you build boats and stuff, right?"

Hollis is stunned by Jake's suggestion and recalls their last conversation about why Gibbs didn't want to go sailing with her. She watches him carefully and manages to hide her surprise as Gibbs finally puts his hands on his hips and sighs heavily, "Yes, Jake... I do. I guess I'm the bait for Skow's boys... considering I'm the only one they haven't been in contact with yet."


	5. Chapter 5

**CHAPTER FIVE**

Later that day, Turk received a call from Karen Walters. She seemed upset and asked if he could come by the coffee shop right away. An hour later he steps in to see Karen behind the counter. The morning crowd has already left and the place is deserted. She smiles and motions for him to take a stool at the counter. She bends down to retrieve her purse from under the counter. She pulls out a letter as Turk notices the dark circles under her eyes; obvious signs she's been crying.

"Karen, I'm sorry about Scott…"

"It wasn't your fault… I spoke with his dad at the funeral. He's convinced Scott was murdered.

The autopsy indicates he was stabbed, then struck over the head with a blunt object… he drown

as a result of being pitched into the sea unconscious." Karen takes a moment to compose herself

as a flood of fresh tears fill her eyes. He waits patiently until she finally hands him the letter.

"This came… day before yesterday. I was going to give it to the police, but then… well…"

Turk takes the letter, as he studies the writing and postmark; turning the envelope over to examine the back as Karen steps away to get him a cup of coffee. He pulls the letter out and reads it through. When he is done he looks up to see the sadness in her eyes. He takes a drink of his coffee. "I understand… let me take care of it. You forget you got this, okay? Don't tell anyone about it."

"Yea, sure… thanks, Mr. Daniels."

Turk quickly tucks the letter back into its envelope and then hides it inside his jacket pocket. He winks at Karen, giving her silent encouragement as a couple of customers enter the shop. Turk remains there long enough to finish his coffee then leaves, while Karen goes to attend to her new customers.

Operating on a sleepless, frustrating night… and then having Ziva drop the bomb shell that some out of town private eye was nosing around put Gibbs in an even worse mood. Gibbs rubs his temple tiredly as he recalls his last day. Could Holly have another whole life... without Gibbs knowing about it? Just the other night she had agreed to stay with him… two nights in a row. It was the first time she'd ever agreed to do that. Gibbs had been elated, thinking maybe she was coming around. He knew she loved him… she said she did, but now Gibbs is filled with jealous doubt after learning she was married. He needed to get away for a while, since he couldn't keep his emotions in check at the moment.

So after realizing Jack Cahill was in no condition to go along with their plan, he decided to do it himself. He left Holly to check on a few things at the office while he got the boat set up. Phil Harris gave her a ride back to the station while Gibbs went to the marina; intent on following up on something Captain Skow said last night during the search of his boat. Gibbs is on his way to Land's End Pier when he sees a man walking in a cowboy hat and boots. It could be no one except the big Texan, Ziva described to him earlier. Turk is heading across the parking lot when he is suddenly intercepted by a dark sedan. It stops directly in his path and Turk recognizes the driver as the Navy cop. The passenger window glides down and as Turk bends down he comes eye to eye with a man who is not happy to see him there. "Get in!"

Turk sighs inwardly, realizing he wasn't being welcomed to town. He opens the door and gets in as instructed. Turk notices Gibbs' knuckles are white as he grips the steering wheel tightly and Turk finally speaks. "Hello, Agent Gibbs."

"Daniels. How did you get mixed up in this case?"

"I was hired by an interested third party. I'm the one who gave your agent, Ziva, that info last night, you know. To help you out."

"You think you're some expert on our case?"

"I'm no expert… but, I see things a lot more clearly than you do."

Anger builds up in Gibbs, but instead of hitting Turk, he controls his temper with great effort and takes several deep breaths before he turns to glare at the Texan. "You don't know what the hell you're getting into, so just leave it alone!"

Both men sit perfectly still, glaring at each other in an age old struggle. Gibbs takes several deep breaths and finally looks away from Turk as he flexes his tense fingers on the steering wheel and changes the subject. "I want to know where you got that information on Skow."

Turk debates continuing to antagonize him, but if Gibbs' white knuckles are any indication they might be in an all out brawl soon. He decides to irritate him a bit more as he turns in his seat to face him. "Back when I was a Ranger in Texas… I'd refuse to answer a question like that. I never gave up my confidential informants."

"Well, you're not in Texas… and you're not a cop!"

Turk's own temper flares at Gibbs' insult. They may not be friends, but professional courtesy was another matter. He suddenly opens the door and gets out, slamming the door before he bends down to coldly let him know how things stand. "I got news for you… you ain't gonna run me out of town." Turk doesn't wait for a reply as he turns and walks away from the car.

******

Out on the _Cyclops_, Skow is worried over the disappearance of Manny Delgado and the events of the previous night. "You didn't find him?"

"No… but I don't think the cops have him."

"They may not have him, but he sure could have snitched us off."

"I don't think so. I think they were just taking a stab in the dark last night. You think we should call this one off, boss?"

"We can't. Everything is in motion already… get another boat ready. At least a twenty-four footer. I'll work out a new rendezvous location later. Just make sure you're not followed."

Tobin leaves the wheelhouse, hops down from the _Cyclops_ and hurries up the dock as John Skow watches him go. Unknown to either of them, he just missed running into Gibbs and Turk in the parking lot. Back on the _Cyclops_, Skow's mind is working furiously over the possibilities of what could go wrong with this next run and how to avoid it.

In Tobin's search for their next boat he comes across a thirty foot charter fishing boat called the _Fog Cutter II_. He stops to examine the boat as it sits moored beside a row of other privately owned fishing boats. Jethro Gibbs is systematically checking the ship, taking care to wipe her down with a soft cloth before looking around with a satisfied smile. Only then does he acknowledge the man watching him from the dock.

Mark Tobin is leaning against a dock light pole and smiles in a friendly way, unaware of who he is addressing. "I heard you were looking for work. Is she for hire?"

"That depends, what for?"

"I need a boat to haul a load of shrimp up from the Keys. You interested?"

"When you need her?"

"What do you do for a crew?"

"Got one mate."

"Okay, have her fueled and ready to go… we'll shove off at sixteen hundred hours tomorrow."

"Hold on, mister… you didn't mention money… and I ain't said yes."

"We'll pay five hundred dollars a ton. How about it?"

"Sounds reasonable... plus fuel?"

"Sure… in case I have to contact you… you sleep on board?"

"Where else? This is home."

Tobin gives Gibbs a little salute and turns to go, smiling at the ease with which he suckered his next victim. Unknown to him, Gibbs has a similar smile on his face… pleased with how easily they took the bait. He goes back to cleaning the boat, but a few minutes later he sees DiNozzo and McGee approaching. They waited until Tobin was gone, then came down to see what the conversation was all about.

"Well, Captain… what did our friendly shark have to talk about?"

"Bait."

"Somehow he doesn't really strike me as the kind of guy who enjoys fishing."

"You got that right… but he took the bait quick enough. He wants to hire the boat… tomorrow at sixteen hundred hours."

"He say what for?"

"Yea, and I think you better get ahold of the Coast Guard… cause it sure ain't fishin'." Gibbs goes back to his polishing as McGee and DiNozzo turn to head back to their car in the parking lot.

Gibbs got set up on this boat this morning and spent about two hours spreading the word he was looking for jobs. It sure hadn't taken long for Skow and Tobin to come snooping around and take the bait. This could be the break they've been waiting for and McGee wastes no time in calling it in.

"Captain Clark, this is Agent McGee with NCIS. Our guys took the bait. They want to hire our decoy boat at 1600 hours tomorrow. Yes, Sir, that is the plan." He hangs up and turns to Tony, who has a frown on his face.

"Maybe we should let Colonel Mann know. She can be pretty mean when she's left out of the loop."

"You think I should call her too?" Tony nods and McGee begins to dial, then suddenly hands the phone to his partner, "You call her. She scares me."

Tony glares at McGee and then snatches the phone from him and finishes dialing. A moment later Colonel Mann answers, "Colonel Mann, It's Agent DiNozzo."

"Hi, Tony, what's up?"

"We're out at the marina with Gibbs. He's on the decoy boat and they just took our bait."

"Really? Skow showed up?"

"His flunky, Tobin did. He just hired Gibbs for a job… tomorrow at 1600 hours."

"Did you tell Captain Clark? The last thing we need is to lose them with Gibbs out there alone."

"Yes, Ma'am, we did that already."

"Okay, you two sit tight. I'll be down to talk to Gibbs and I'll meet you out there."

He hangs up and hands the phone back to McGee, who puts it in his pocket as Tony updates him, "She's gonna come talk to Gibbs and meet us here."

"I hope Gibbs's in a better mood than he was earlier."

"Don't count on it. I think he and Holly are having some kind of lover's spat."

"Great… that means we'll all be miserable until they make up."

Both men chuckle, knowing from past experience what life around Gibbs and Holly is like when they aren't getting along. They settle back in their seats to watch the _Fog Cutter II_ and await Hollis's arrival.

******

When she arrives at the pier, she finds the two agents waiting patiently in their car. She parks next to them and rolls her window down. "No sign of anyone by our boat?"

"Nope… it's safe for you to go down there."

"I'm a little worried... Skow is unpredictable so why don't you guys head over to Lands End Pier and keep an eye on Skow and his boat."

"Yes, Ma'am."

Tony starts the car and backs out of the parking space beside her. She gets out and watches them leave. With the way things were left between her and Gibbs, she doesn't want them within sight when she and Gibbs have another argument. Something had Gibbs upset and she got the distinct impression he was upset with her. She didn't know why, but she was sure as hell going to find out.

She pushes her personal problems to the back of her mind as she makes her way down the dock to where the _Fog Cutter II_ was moored. The sun is setting when she finds Jethro sitting on the deck watching her approach. Their eyes meet and he greets her with a cool smile. "I was wondering if you were gonna show."

"Had some other things to attend to first. So, I hear you had a visitor today."

Gibbs stands up and comes to the railing. He holds out his hand and Holly reaches up to take it as she climbs aboard. Gibbs motions for her to go into the cabin where they can have some privacy. "We can't talk out here."

Inside there is a breakfast nook style table and Holly gladly sits down. Gibbs moves to sit opposite her. Before they can get sidetracked on other topics, she asks, "Now, what about Tobin?"

"He wants her tomorrow, at 1600 hours. To haul shrimp."

"And?" Hollis's expression clearly shows she doesn't understand the implications of his statement.

"This ain't no shrimp boat. So they're up to something."

"Sounds good... Jethro, are you up to this?"

Gibbs studies her for a moment, not wanting to tell her how angry he'd been after following her this morning. He forces a smile and reassures her, "I'm fine."

"I think what I really want to know is... are you angry with me? Did I do something up upset you?"

"Holly… two years ago you were pretty much the only thing that saved me from giving it all up and heading back to Mexico after... Jenny died."

She decides to be totally honest with him now, "I knew you were in love with her... probably still are..."

"After my wife died... I sort of lost focus on my personal life. I basically didn't allow myself to have one... for a long time. I kept that pain inside, close to me like a shield and it kept me from falling apart more times than I can remember."

He stops talking and lowers his gaze to his hands which are tightly gripped together on the table. Holly studies him for a long moment, wondering how much he was willing to reveal to her now... at this point in their relationship. When he looks up, she sees the pain in his eyes as he continues, "I was a real bastard... I'm not proud of that, Holly. Jenny was someone I thought could replace Shannon... but she convinced me it would never work. After that, we were just really close friends. I won't lie to you, I did love her, but not like you think." He leans forward and takes her hand in his, stroking it gently as he stares into her eyes, "But you..."

He doesn't get the chance to explain because he senses a shift in the boat as someone steps aboard. His eyes are suddenly on something behind Holly's head and she spins in her seat to see Tobin standing just outside the cabin. He steps in and looks Holly over hard before he turns his attention back to Gibbs. "This your mate?"

"I'm… the cook."

"Cook, huh? I bet… well you'll have to do. Ok, pops, change in plans… crank her up while I

pull in the lines."

"Hold on… you said tomorrow at…" He freezes midway out of his seat and his words trail off as Tobin suddenly pulls a semi-automatic hand gun out from his waistband and points it at him. He looks from one to the other, making sure she isn't going to do anything stupid, then turns his attention back to Gibbs. "I said crank her up… now!"

Hollis sits motionless, not wanting to do anything while Tobin has his gun pointed at Gibbs. His eyes move from the gun to her and she silently gives him a little nod, indicating he should do what Tobin says. Gibbs stands up then, worried about this new twist in events and goes to the controls to fire up the engine. When he is sure Gibbs is complying with his orders, Tobin stuffs his gun back into his waistband and quickly cuts the tie ropes with a rather nasty looking knife he's pulled from inside his boot. Hollis stands up, glancing out the door towards the shore, but she sees no familiar faces. It occurs to her that when McGee and DiNozzo get back here… they'll be searching for them both... in an endless sea. Tobin pushes her back inside to the table as he comes to join Gibbs at the controls. He indicates Gibbs should take the boat out of the harbor, but gives nothing else away.

******

Over at Land's End Pier, DiNozzo and McGee search the pier for the _Cyclops._ The sun is setting and there are shadows from the other boats which help conceal them as they move in close to the _Cyclops_. The boat appears to be deserted, but they see a man coming down the dock towards them. It is Skow and he appears to be in a hurry. He quickly passes right by their location, not seeing the two men huddled in the shadows. Skow undoes the lines and then hurries up to the wheelhouse to start the engines. The two agents exchange a glance, wondering what's going down… just like last night Skow is taking his boat out alone. They wait in the shadows until they are sure the _Cyclops_ has gotten under way. As it moves out, McGee suddenly sees a small light flicker in one of the lower cabin windows.

"Hey, look! There's a flashlight in the lower cabin window."

"Yea, I saw it too. Someone else is on board."

"Let's get back and update Gibbs and Colonel Mann before he gets too far out of sight."

They turn and sprint back up the dock to their car. As Tony fires up the engine and takes off in a squeal of tires, McGee grabs the phone and tries to reach Gibbs. There is no answer so he tries Colonel Mann's phone with the same results. "Nothing. Neither is picking up." He and Tony exchange a worried glance as they drive like maniacs to get back to the other pier and update them on what's going on.

When they arrive back at the pier where the_ Fog Cutter II_ was docked they find Hollis's car still parked there. It's too dark to see out onto the pier now so they race down to where it was moored. When they get there they come to a screeching halt as they stare at an empty space where the boat had been.

DiNozzo immediately places a call to Captain Clark, "Captain Clark... we may have a situation. We don't know where the decoy boat is… it may have been pirated by our bad guys. We went to check on Skow's boat and he was hauling ass out of the harbor. When we got back here... the decoy boat was gone too."

"Who's on board?"

"Our boat… that would be Gibbs and Colonel Mann. We saw Skow on the _Cyclops _and he shoved off in a big hurry. I think we saw someone in the lower cabin too, but we can't be sure.

We saw a flashlight flicker from one of the cabins below deck."

"Get over to the Coast Guard pier, right now! We've got to put to sea immediately if we're going to stand any chance of locating them."

The totality of the situation suddenly hits DiNozzo and he takes a deep calming breath to still the panic rising up inside him. Not only had they lost sight of Gibbs and the _Fog Cutter,_ but Hollis was onboard too. They had no idea where they were going or what was going to happen to them once they got to their destination. He suddenly remembers the phone in his hand and clicks it shut as he turns to McGee, "Let's move it Probie! We got ten seconds to make it to the cutter or they leave without us!"

As he is speaking they are already hurrying back up the dock towards the parking area as they race to the Coast Guard Cutter moored a short distance away. Within minutes they are at the Coast Guard's Cutter and hurry aboard to find Captain Clark organizing the search effort. With no idea where they were headed, they have to begin their search from ground zero. The _Fog Cutter_ had been equipped with a tracking devise, but they hadn't activated it yet. There isn't much for DiNozzo and McGee to do now, except sit back and watch as Captain Clark takes the cutter out on the search. Even with the latest satellite technology it is like finding a needle in a haystack. Five thousand miles of ocean, in the dark of night wasn't likely to produce the one boat they are looking for easily.

The lack of sleep is forgotten now as Gibbs runs on pure fear and adrenaline. He goes to stand at the curved cockpit windows overlooking the ocean, staring out at the black night. He doesn't see any of it as he pushes his hands deeply into his pockets. His mind turns inward as he recalls the events of this day. He was being torn apart inside by his fear of losing Holly and not knowing what to do to stop it. In all these years, nothing he's tried has convinced Hollis to marry him… and now he knew why. She was already married. She swore she loved him, she said she wanted to spend the rest of her life with him… but why hadn't she told him?

Well, today, he'd gotten his answer… if she wanted to play games… she could just play them with someone else. Intent on breaking up with her the minute he saw her again, Gibbs had let his anger come to a boil inside him. Gibbs's imagination had run crazy with scenarios of Holly secretly seeing her husband all this time… of him proposing to her and her laughing as they sat together talking about him. Those images are enough to send Gibbs's temper flaring and he finds himself standing at the window now, his teeth clenched in rage and his hands balled into fists in his pockets. Then he turns to see her now, on the seat where Tobin has made her stay; looking worried, but brave. He knew he could never walk away from her.

A young Coast Guard officer is monitoring the screen as DiNozzo comes up beside him. The officer has his head down and updates him. "We just checked this one… it's a freighter off the coast."

"What about this one?"

"Huh-uh… it's a sailboat. Given some general idea of where they might be headed I would say an hour… maybe two, but you're talking five thousand square miles of ocean. They could be anywhere."

"Look, I'm not the expert… but calculate the distance they could have traveled… in the last three hours… then search that area!"

Captain Clark sees DiNozzo's temper flaring and steps up to take the heat off his young officer. "Relax. We're doing that… but it's still a lot of ocean."

DiNozzo realizes he was getting out of hand and takes several deep breaths to calm down. Matt Clark pats him on the back in silent support, understanding his frustrations as the young officer hesitantly addresses him again. "I've got a question, Sir?"

"Yea, what's that?"

"How does a boat get pirated… I mean with the Navy watching it?"

"I'd like to know the same thing." He glares over at McGee, knowing it wasn't his fault, but not having any other outlet for his anger right now. "Look… we were just doing what she told us to do. Colonel Mann told us to go check on the _Cyclops. _When we saw it putting out to sea in a hurry, we rushed back to tell Gibbs, but the decoy boat was gone too."

Clark merely turns his back on the two agents as the phone rings across the room. "Captain Clark… right… thanks." He hangs up and turns back to the two agents with a smile on his face as he advises, " The helo spotted your fishing boat, coming up the coast, real close in. They said it's not acting like a fishing boat… and its making its way north."

"That's got to be it… finally! Let's roll!"


	6. Chapter 6

**CHAPTER SIX**

On the _Fog Cutter II_, far out to sea, Hollis is now bound hand and foot, and seated outside between the bait tank and the bulkhead. She lays her head on the rail, breathing deeply the cool night air as she tries to control the churning fear in her stomach. Hollis has been able to keep a rough estimate of their location by the lights she sees far off in the distance. They headed south for a long time, but after a brief stop they are now headed back north again. There is just enough light coming from the cabin for Hollis to see inside. She sees Tobin get up from the bench seat and walk over to where Gibbs is steering the boat. He thrusts his gun in Gibbs' back as his voice carries out to her. "Bring her to a full stop."

Gibbs looks around, but sees nothing but the black, barren sea. He slowly throttles down until the engines are at idle. He tries to look back over his shoulder at Hollis, worried about her being tied up on deck, but Tobin jabs him in the ribs with his gun again. "Get outside… now! Move!"

Gibbs is roughly pushed towards the door by the impatient Tobin and he glares back at the man as he steps out onto the darkened deck. He and Hollis exchange a glance, but Tobin is right there. "Get her on her feet!"

Gibbs bends over her and secretly tosses the navigation chip overboard as he helps Holly to her feet. She is very unsteady due to her bindings and the rough chop of the sea. Gibbs can't help but be proud of her for how well she's handling this as he softly comforts her.

"You okay? Just take deep, even breaths." She smiles a silent reply. Gibbs angrily turns back to their captor. "Okay, so now what?"

"Now, you and your friend are going to take a little swim."

Gibbs had been anticipating this and during the long voyage. He waited until Tobin wasn't looking, then he removed the control module and palmed it. The navigational equipment and electronic radio wouldn't work without it. He now plays his only hand in the hopes of keeping himself and Hollis alive.

"You a pretty good sailor?" Tobin doesn't understand the question and begins to shake his head as if to dismiss the silly question. Then Gibbs adds his trump card. "Unless you're a real expert at dead reckoning… or reading the stars… you'll never make your destination."

"What in the hell are you talking about?"

"The compass, the radio, the direction finder… all the navigation aids. I'm afraid they're not working."

Tobin suddenly realizes Gibbs has sabotaged the equipment. He quickly steps inside the cabin to examine the control panel. Tobin finds all the screens blank and the radio dead. He curses under his breath and rushes back out as he points the gun at Gibbs.

"What the fuck did you do to the navigation equipment!"

"It doesn't matter now… it's not fixable."

"You son-of-a-bitch!" Tobin raises his gun at Gibbs' head and steps up as he takes aim to kill him. Gibbs swallows hard and he feels Hollis grab his arm. He holds his ground and tries to remain calm as he reasons with Tobin.

"Easy, buddy… I'll take you where you need to go… just back off on that piece."

"All right! You just bought yourselves another hour… get back inside!"

"Look, let me untie her… she won't be a problem."

"No! Now get inside!"

"Well, I guess we both go swimming then."

"Okay! Untie the bitch… then get back inside and get this tub moving!"

Gibbs turns to Hollis and winks at her. She doesn't know what he has in mind, but she's glad to have her hands free when he unties the rope behind her back. When her hands are free she sits down to untie her feet as Tobin roughly herds Gibbs back inside the cabin. A moment later the boat surges forward as they continue on their trek north. Hollis holds on to the railing, trying to gauge their location in this near pitch black ocean.

******

After another hour at full throttle Tobin once again orders Gibbs to bring the boat down to a lower speed. Gibbs can see the outline of a large fishing boat about a quarter mile ahead of them. Even from this distance, Gibbs recognizes the boat. Tobin instructs him to ease the boat up alongside the _Cyclops_, then cut the engines. When the _Fog Cutter II_ is gently bumping along side the larger boat Tobin hustles him back outside to the stern deck. He pushes both Gibbs and Hollis into a corner where he can watch them. After a moment Skow comes to the railing above them, he glances from Tobin to Gibbs, not seeing Hollis who is behind him. His surprise evident on his face.

"You idiot! What the hell did you bring him for?"

"I had to… he screwed up all the navigation equipment."

Hollis steps out from behind Gibbs' back, allowing Skow to see her for the first time. He stares at her for a moment, disbelief showing on his face as things just got that much more complicated.

"Two witnesses! Kill 'em both… you idiot!"

Tobin immediately raises his gun up to aim at her. He is a fraction of a second slow and Gibbs suddenly lunges at him, knocking the gun from his hand as it flies over the edge to disappear into the murky depths of the sea.

Gibbs had surprise on his side as Tobin staggers backwards, almost falling, but catches himself against the railing. Tobin now comes back with his fists flying and catches Gibbs hard across the jaw, but Gibbs comes back with a sharp jab of his own. The two men are in a fight to the death as they grapple around on the shifting deck. Tobin grabs a metal net hook and catches Gibbs along the side of his head; staggering him. Gibbs is stumbles back against Hollis, still trying to protect her as a second blow from the hook sends him to the deck, knocked out cold. Tobin doesn't stop Holly as she kneels beside him, cradling him protectively in her arms. Tobin watches as Holly tries to protect the man in her arms, then grins as he pulls back his leg to kick him.

His blow never reaches its mark as Hollis sees it coming and puts her body in between Gibbs and Tobin's boot. His kick causes her to groan in pain, but Skow suddenly bellows; stopping the assault_. "_ Knock it off! Keep them there while I get my rifle."

Skow heads back to his cabin to retrieve his rifle while Tobin decides to get in one more lick before doing as he's ordered. He quickly draws back his leg and kicks Hollis hard in the kidney area, causing her to cry out as she huddles over Gibbs' unconscious form. Before she can recover, Tobin grabs her by the arm, yanking her to her feet as his other hand grabs a handful of her hair and pulling back on it hard. Hollis stifles the cry of pain as her head is pulled back so hard she can barely breathe. Tobin brings his mouth in close to her ear and lowers his voice to a sickening, thick whisper.

"Maybe I'll just hang on to you for a bit… maybe have a little fun when this is all over with.""I'd rather… take a… bullet in the head."

Tobin doesn't appreciate her show of resistance and punches her hard in the same spot where he previously kicked her. The pain that explodes through her body makes her cry out again as her legs buckle. Tobin laughs and pushes her down on the deck. Hollis half stumbles, half falls along the railing, gasping for air and too dazed to see what's going on behind her.

Tobin now turns his attention to Gibbs, who is beginning to come around. He picks up the net hook and brings it down in a hard chop against Gibbs's thigh. Gibbs groans in pain and rolls away instinctively trying to defend himself. "Move it… old man!"

Gibbs is regaining his senses and pretends to stagger to his feet, moving slowly towards Hollis. Tobin gives Gibbs one last shove, which causes him to fall against the railing beside Hollis. She sees Tobin drawing back to deliver another hard blow with the net hook, but Gibbs is ready this time and lunges off the railing. His fist lands solidly in Tobin's gut, causing him to lose his balance, but doesn't stop the forward motion of the swing all together. Gibbs ducks, but the edge of the metal hook glances off his shoulder, striking Hollis and causing her to stagger back to the railing. Gibbs has only managed to anger Tobin more.

Inside the cabin, Skow turns on the one dim light, hanging in the center of the room. He heads towards the bed, but hesitates when he sees the door to the storage locker slightly ajar. As he is staring at the door, he hears Hollis cry out in pain from the beating Tobin is obviously continuing on the _Fog Cutter II_. He quickly reaches for the handle and yanks the door open, but finds the room empty of any threat. He quickly continues on to get his rifle from under the mattress on his bunk. He hears Hollis scream again and hurries back up on deck to take control of the situation.

What he doesn't see is the door to the bathroom open very slowly as he is leaving. Inside the bathroom, Turk peaks out, making sure the coast is clear before hurrying after Skow. He doesn't know what he's going to do exactly, but hearing the woman screaming in pain puts him in motion. He takes the steps two at a time, but then stops as he reaches the top. He quickly scans the outer deck to make sure Skow isn't waiting to ambush him. As he does his hand comes to rest on something hard and metallic. He looks down at a harpoon style grappling hook and smiles as he grabs it and ducks down low as he makes his way out onto the deck.

Skow has returned to the port railing with his rifle and is shouting down at Tobin who is once again drawing the hook back to strike. Gibbs puts himself between Hollis and Tobin, taking the blows from the hook and getting in shots when he can.

"Damn it, Tobin! Back up out of the way!"

Tobin looks back over his shoulder to see Skow raising the rifle to take aim at Hollis and Gibbs. He grins and drops the hook as he backs out of the way to let him shoot them. As Skow is waiting for a wave to pass so he can take steady aim Gibbs leans in close to Hollis in a desperate attempt to save their lives.

"We got one chance… in the water!" She looks terrified, but nods to indicate she understands.

"Just stay close to me… we're gonna try and get under the boat."

Fortunately for them they don't have to make that choice because at that moment Turk comes lunging out from the shadows with the harpoon. Skow is just raising the rifle to take his shot when the sharp point of the harpoon is rammed through his back to protrude out the middle of his chest. Skow doesn't even have time to react as he slowly drops the rifle and looks down. The harpoon point protruding from his chest; glistening in the moonlight with his own blood as he gasps and falls to his knees, dead. Turk immediately grabs the rifle and has it trained on Tobin who is too shocked to react. "Get your hands on top of your head… now!"

Tobin's eyes are still on the kneeling form of his dead boss, propped up by the spear in his back. He slowly raises his hands and links them together on top of his head. Without taking his eyes or the rifle off the stunned man, Turk now calls out to Gibbs.

"Gibbs!"

He is gasping in pain and staggers in his attempt to help Holly to her feet. "We're… okay... "

"Who the hell is that?" Holly is staring in awe at the warrior who appeared from out of nowhere.

"Just... a Texas Ranger."

With a pained smile, Holly holds her side as she gasps, "Well, I like his style."

Turk hears their comments and grins, but doesn't take his eyes off Tobin. Hollis is leaning heavily on the railing, trying to catch her breath when both ships are suddenly rocked by a huge wave and lit up by a powerful spot light. A loud siren is heard as the Coast Guard cutter comes barreling towards them. It suddenly dawns on Gibbs that Turk looks like a bad guy standing on the upper deck with the rifle pointed down towards them. He pushes off the railing and calls out, "Daniels! Drop the gun! They'll shoot you!"

Just as the cutter's siren stops and a loud PA warning is issued. **"Drop all weapons and put your hands on your heads! Any show of resistance will result in this cutter firing on you! Drop all weapons!"**

He lowers the gun to the deck, but doesn't drop it as the last of his strength leaves him and his injured leg gives out. He cringes in pain as Turk steps forward, ready to leap down to the smaller boat to help, "You all right, Partner?"

"I think so… just my leg." Gibbs straightens up again and then gives the big Texan his full attention, " How in the hell did you get out here?"

"I was snooping around on the _Cyclops_ when Skow returned and put out to sea in a big hurry. I didn't have a chance to get off so I hid below decks."

"Well, thank God you did… or we'd have been fish food." Gibbs dabs at the blood on his temple and tries to suppress the pain in his head. He may not like private investigators interfering in his investigations, but this one was all right.

Once again the cutter issues a loud warning over the PA system, warning them they are about to be boarded. Turk waves a hand in the air, signaling he understands as the cutter drifts up to the _Cyclops_, bumping hard against her side as several sailors quickly jump onto the deck and secure lines to keep them together. Gibbs steadies Hollis as the deck shifts abruptly under their feet.

When he regains his balance Gibbs helps Holly up onto the bigger boat in the middle of the trio. Gibbs's eyes are intense, both from fear and relief that she is all right. Knowing Holly needs his support right now, he wraps his arm around her waist and helps her walk the distance to where the coast guard men have lowered a ladder to assist her. Turk has remained in position, the rifle pointed at the deck, but in a position take aim quickly and Tobin knows it. He stands meekly with his hands on his head amid all the commotion.

Holly tries to pretend she is fine. Never admitting weakness was one of the things that got her to the command position of Lieutenant Colonel in the first place. She struggles up the rope ladder on her own, refusing the hands stretched out to help her. Once on the deck of the _Cyclops, _she glances at the grotesque death pose of Skow with disinterest. Just then, Gibbs is at her side, taking control. "Look after Colonel Mann… she's been hurt."

"No, I'm… aahh…!" She was in the process of telling Gibbs she was fine, but his hand curves around her ribs, suddenly causing her to cry out and cringe in pain.

Gibbs is holding her steady as he softly warns, "Holly… you're not fine... let them take you aboard the cutter and get checked out."

Gibbs steps back and allows them to take over helping Hollis, but she manages to glare at him over her shoulder as DiNozzo and McGee now rush up to help. Gibbs attention is then drawn back to the _Fog Cutter II_ as he hears a loud splash. He looks over to see Turk pointing over the far side.

"He went overboard! Tobin jumped!"

Two Coast Guard officers are beside Turk now and also heard his comment. The senior officer pulls a radio from his belt and quickly advises, "We have a man overboard… launch the zodiac. Man overboard on the far port side."

Gibbs has hobbled over to watch Tobin swimming as hard as he can away from the boats. "You might want to warn them he's our suspect and may be armed with a boot knife."

"Be warned the swimmer may be armed and dangerous… let him swim until he decides to give up." The officer grins over at Gibbs who nods his approval of their tactics. Then the younger officer looks to Turk and asks, "Are you injured, sir? Can I be of assistance?"

"No, son… I'm fine, but this man took quite a beating. I'm sure he could use some help." Turk sidesteps the attention and places a hand on Gibbs' shoulder.

"Yes, sir… you men, over here with that gurney!"

Gibbs glares back at Turk, refusing to be treated like an invalid. "I don't need that gurney... I can walk on my own, sailor." Gibbs takes the rifle from Turk and limps over to where Captain Clark and the others are standing. He doesn't even give Skow a second look as he hands the weapon to Clark and addresses his agents, "DiNozzo handle this scene while I go check on Colonel Mann."

"On it, Boss."

Turk watches for a moment and then turns to follow as he approaches the body of John Skow. McGee, DiNozzo and Captain Clark are all standing around the dead man, staring at the strange pose. As Turk walks up, McGee nudges DiNozzo and they both watch Turk suspiciously as he looks over to the Captain. "That's my doin' Captain. I'm Turk Daniels... private eye out of Texas."

"You harpooned him in the back?"

"Yes, sir… he was getting ready to shoot Colonel Mann and Special Agent Gibbs with that rifle. I didn't have much choice."

"I see… well, we'll need a full statement… from you, of course."

"Sure… but could I trouble you for a cup of coffee first?"

"My men will see to all your needs on board the cutter, Mr. Daniels. "Well, I'll look forward to hearing your version of all this in the debriefing."

Turk nods and then heads towards the cutter as he hears the Captain asking McGee and DiNozzo how they would suggest transporting the impaled body of Captain Skow back to port. Both men agree it would be easiest to just cover him with a tarp and tow the boat back to shore. The Captain finally agrees, however he feels it's rather gruesome to leave the dead man kneeling on deck like that. DiNozzo reminds him they can't remove the harpoon until the coroner examines the body and he finally turns to order his men to find a tarp to cover the body… then get both boats ready to be towed back to port.

******

In the ship's hospital, Holly's injuries are attended to by the doctor. Gibbs stands by watching from the doorway, not wanting to interfere, but keeping a close eye on her. He is so glad to see her safe that he just wants to hold her, but then he recalls the scene from that morning... Holly with her husband.

Hollis hadn't wanted him to know she was married... why? He understood how hard it was for a woman to live with an invalid husband. Maybe she wasn't proud of the fact that she needed to find comfort in another man's arms. Right now, he needs to make sure she's all right, get the debriefing over with and make sure everyone gets home safely. This other discussion could wait. When the doctor has finished examining Holly he gives her a couple pain killers to take and moves out of the room.

Holly downs the pills and sets the cup aside as she looks over to Gibbs. She desperately wants to talk to him, but understands his reluctance to get personal in front of the doctor. Now that he's done with her, Holly raises her hand to Gibbs, silently beckoning him to her. Their eyes meet across the room and she smiles as he walks stiffly towards her. He takes her swollen hand gently in his and examines it. "You all right, Holly?"

"Yea… I am now." She curls her fingers around his and gently pulls him closer until she can place her other arm around his waist. She stiffly leans in to kiss him and Gibbs can't resist the soft sweetness of her lips. He wants to take her in his arms and hold her tight, but controls himself as he returns her warm caress. When she pulls back she huskily whispers, "I'm so glad you're okay."

"Yea… you feel up to telling them what happened out there?"

She is somewhat disappointed at Gibbs's luke warm reception and wonders if he's still angry at her. She knows this isn't the place for that kind of discussion and decides to bring it up when they're alone at home. She allows him to help her slowly off the table and he keeps his arm loosely around her waist as they make their way back up to the Captain's board room.

When they arrive, Turk is already inside telling his story, but they don't have to wait long for him to come out. He immediately comes over to Hollis with concern in his eyes. "You all right, darlin'?"

"Yea, just sore… nothing a good, hot bath won't cure."

Turk notices the possessive way Gibbs is holding her. "That's one hell of a gal you got there, Agent Gibbs."

Turk touches her cheek with his fingertips and then walks away. Gibbs escorts Hollis inside, gets her seated with a glass of water and then begins to leave. Hollis doesn't want him to go and hurriedly asks, "Captain… do you mind if Gibbs sits in? We could do both debriefings together."

"Of course not… Gibbs?"

Gibbs stops as he had been heading for the door, but then turns around to face Hollis. Their eyes meet and the silent plea in her eyes convinces him to stay. He takes a seat beside her and Captain Clark nods and pushes the record button on his tape recorder.

"This is debriefing number two. Present are Lieutenant Colonel Hollis Mann, Army CID and Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs, of NCIS. Now, Colonel Mann will you please tell us your account of what happened this evening."

Hollis goes on to tell the story about learning of Tobin's offer to hire the _Fog Cutter II _and how she came to be on the boat with Gibbs. She details everything to the best of her recollection, including the beating she and Gibbs took at the hands of Mark Tobin just prior to the cutter's arrival. She then pauses to glance over at Gibbs, checking to make sure she hadn't left anything out.

"I disabled the navigation system when Tobin wasn't looking and threw the chip overboard. That bought us some time since Tobin couldn't navigate without digital aids. That's why we were still alive when you guys arrived. After Turk killed Skow, he grabbed the rifle and held Tobin at gunpoint. That's when the cutter arrived… and saw Turk standing there on deck holding a rifle. I figured you probably thought he was one of Skow's men... so I yelled at him to drop the rifle." Gibbs adds these two clarifying points.

Gibbs watches her the entire time he is talking. The Captain is looking from one to the other and suddenly realizes there is more to this than a professional relationship. Hollis looks back to him now and smiles weakly, but Clark pretends he is unaware of the tension. "Is that all?"

"Yes, that's all."

"This ends debriefing number two." He clicks the recorder off and then sits back in his chair to study Hollis for a moment before he casually says, "That was quite an ordeal you went through, Colonel."

"Are we done? I'd like to get a cup of coffee, if I could." Gibbs sighs tiredly, not wanting to admit how much is leg and head were throbbing right now.

"Of course. We'll be back to port in a few hours and in the meantime I'm sure you could use the rest."

Holly notices Gibbs's distant attitude and sighs inwardly thinking he is still angry at her for some unknown reason. She stands up slowly, stifling a groan of pain as she does and Gibbs is instantly on his feet to help her. When they are outside the Captain's office Holly looks at Gibbs with a hesitant smile. "So, can I buy you a cup of coffee, sailor?"

"Aahh… no… I have to check on some things… I'm sure you're tired… you should get some rest."

They are walking down the hall towards the galley and Holly gets the distinct impression he can't wait to get away from her. She glances both directions in the hallway to make sure they're alone before she stops and turns to face him. "Hey, Gibbs… what's bugging you?"

"I'm just tired, Holly. We all are. Go get some rest."

"Jethro, you've acting like I did something to upset you all day... now what is it?"

Their eyes meet and she can see the hurt in his eyes again. When he remains silent, she brings her hand up to his face and strokes his stubbled jaw as she prompts, "Gibbs, talk to me."

"Why didn't you tell me you were married?" His question is said with such deep pain that she doesn't know how to answer him. She is in shock that he apparently has discovered her secret. Their eyes hold for a long moment, and she knows of no words to explain it to him.

She leans in and stands on tiptoe to press her lips to his. At first he doesn't respond, but then a soft sigh escapes him and his hand slides gently around her waist. Her soft kisses entice him to take control and they become more and more demanding as he urges her lips to part. She moans softly as he deepens the kiss with an urgency born of desperation. They spend long minutes lost in deep, searching kisses until Holly finally pulls back to look up into his eyes, darkened by passion. She huskily whispers, "I love you… and only you, Jethro… don't ever doubt that."

The fear in her eyes tells him everything. With this he steps back and turns to walk away, leaving her standing there afraid and more confused than ever. When he has turned into a passageway where she can't see him, Gibbs sighs tiredly and turns to head back to the hospital to get his head and leg checked out.

By the time Gibbs has gotten his own injuries treated, it is early morning. With a concussion he is advised not to sleep, but he is so tired he can't even think straight on top of having a raging headache. Yet his mind won't stop spinning around all the conflicting emotions regarding Holly. He lies in the hospital bed, staring at the ceiling and trying not to rip the tech's head when he comes in to ask him how he is every thirty minutes.

The cutter makes port just after dawn and they have called ahead to have a secured dock ready for the _Cyclops_ until the gruesome scene on the deck can be cleared by the coroner and removed. Captain Clark lets everyone sleep until the _Cyclops_ and the _Fog Cutter II_ have been secured by his crew. He and Gibbs stand on deck overseeing the placement of the two vessels while Holly and the others are brought coffee and advised it is time to get up. They need to head back to their own offices and finish out the paperwork on this very long night.

At the bottom of the gangway DiNozzo and McGee are waiting while several uniformed coast guard officers escort their prisoner down the ramp. Tobin glances over at the kilos of cocaine being unloaded from the smaller boat and knows they are going to pin this whole thing on him since Skow is dead now. As a last ditch effort to save himself Tobin turns to the Navy cops.

"You ain't gonna pin this all on me! I was just Skow's gopher, man!"

"Is that so? Well, we can't exactly verify your story, now can we?" DiNozzo takes possession of the prisoner as he steps onto the dock.

"Come on, man! You can't pin this all on me! I'll do anything… I'll tell you about his whole operation… I'll give you all the names of his connections… from the supplier in Miami to the big guy calling the shots up here!"

"You'll give us the whole operation? In detail?" McGee's interest is piqued as he takes Tobin's other arm to escort him to the waiting patrol car.

"Yes… I swear it!"

"All right. We'll listen to you, but I'm not making any promises, understood?"

"All right… but if you use it against them… that'll help me though, right?" Tobin is desperate to save himself.

"Yea, some… but you still gotta answer for what you did to Lieutenant Colonel Mann and Special Agent Gibbs… and all those other poor souls you dumped in the sea."

"I never killed anyone! Skow did all that! He's the one who killed that McWhirter kid, not me!"

"All right, get him down to NCIS, boys… and keep him under wraps until someone from my unit gets there."

"Yes sir, Agent DiNozzo."

Gibbs comes hobbling slowly up to them and motions for McGee and DiNozzo to come closer. "You guys head on home. We'll finish up the paperwork in the morning. I know we can all use some sleep."

"What about Tobin?"

"I called the office and Phil Harris is standing by to do the interview with him. He'll make sure he tells us everything and then gets booked."

"Boy, I sure am tired. McGee, you want me to drop you off on my way home?"

"Yea, I don't think I can drive… see you later, boss."

"McGee, give me your keys… my ride's back at the other marina."

McGee tosses him his keys as they wave and turn to go. Gibbs turns to see Hollis walking slowly towards him. He notices the dark circles under her eyes. She tries to smile, but the tears in her eyes give away her true state of mind. Gibbs doesn't want to have this conversation with her right now, but he can't walk away and leave her standing on the dock. "Come on… I'll take you home. You look beat."

"As a matter of fact I am… black and blue. I could use a few more pain pills."

"Here… the doc gave me these for my headache." He drops three pills in her hand and she gratefully pops them in her mouth.

She washes them down with the last of her cold coffee and then tosses the cup in a trash barrel. Her gaze moves to the kilos of cocaine as she asks, "What about all that cocaine?"

"That's the Coast Guard's case… seizure was made at sea. Come on."

He places his hand on the small of her back and Holly slowly walks with him back to the waiting NCIS car. The guys at work would take care of getting their cars picked up from the other marina, so for now all he had to do was see Holly got home. After he left her in the hallway he couldn't stop thinking about the way she'd kissed him… or what she'd said. He's still confused, but he can't get the image of her husband out of his mind.


	7. Chapter 7

**CHAPTER SEVEN **

As Gibbs turns the car into her driveway, he thinks Holly is asleep, but she sits up to look over at him warily. There is a tense moment as their eyes meet and Gibbs finally sighs and breaks the contact as he gets out and comes around to help her. By now they are both very stiff and sore, hardly able to get out of the car without assistance. Gibbs helps her inside, but is careful not to get too close.

"Get up to bed… you need rest."

"I feel like I could sleep for a week."

He helps her upstairs and then stops at the doorway as Holly continues inside. She is several steps into the room when she stops, turning back when she realizes he has not followed her. Confusion is the first emotion to register, but then she looks into his eyes and sees the hurt there. "Aren't you going to stay?"

"No. I'm heading home. You need to rest, Holly. We'll talk... some other time."

Suddenly her legs are too weak to hold her and she sinks down on the bed. She takes long, deep breaths in an attempt to keep the room from spinning around her as her hand combs slowly through her tangled hair. "So… are you breaking up with me? Is that what this is?"

There is a long tense silence between them as Gibbs watches her down bent head. She refuses to look at him, not wanting him to see the tears brimming on her eyes. He finally says the words that have to be said. "I don't know Holly..."

"Gibbs…"

"Holly… I followed you yesterday... to the hospital. I'm sorry I did that… I love you, but I can't take this... not like this."

She gets up and takes several steps towards him, but when he looks at her with cold determination, she stops dead in her tracks. The tears are streaming silently down her cheeks now, but Gibbs steals his heart against his desire to comfort her.

"I've made it clear what I want out of this relationship. You on the other hand haven't. I think you need to take a few days and think about what you really want…."

Holly is sobbing openly now as she reaches out her hand to him. "Jethro… please?" Her plea tears at his heart, but instead of taking her hand… he shakes his head and turns to leave. Her whole world is falling apart as she listens to his footsteps retreating down the stairs. She brings her hands up to her face and turns back to collapse onto the bed, knowing he will never understand why she's had to lead the double life she has.

Gibbs has to get away from Holly before he shakes her until she tells him what kind of game she's been playing with him. He takes the stairs two at a time, slamming the front door on his way out. His tires squeal as he jams his foot down on the accelerator, sending his car racing off down the street.

Back in Holly's room the stress of all these years, trying to juggle two separate lives suddenly comes crashing down on her and she sobs uncontrollably. She only wanted to have Gibbs; a new chance after her failed first marriage… but in lying to him she's destroyed any chance she may have had at making a second one work. At some point during the morning Holly's exhausted mind and body finally give in to the inevitable and she drifts off into deep numbing sleep.

******

No one in the CID office seems to think anything is wrong when Holly doesn't show up for work that afternoon. After all, she'd just been through an ordeal. She would probably take a few days off and then come back good as new. Colonel Hollis Mann was tough, but she was a woman and sometimes the job was harder on her than she let them know.

Few people in her office knew about her long term relationship with NCIS Supervisory Special Agent Gibbs. His team on the other hand had figured it out pretty quickly and had often wondered over the years why they never got married. No one knew how many times Gibbs has proposed… or how many times Holly has turned him down. No one knew the reason behind her reluctance.

Gibbs sits in his office now, trying to unravel the mystery of Holly's past. How could she be listed as single in her file when she was married. She's been with the Army for 18 years, having transferred here from a base in South Korea. Had she been married there? And what happened to her husband? After Gibbs's initial anger had died down, he spent long hours thinking over the possibilities when he should have been sleeping.

He'd only gotten a couple hours sleep at home and he was bone tired, but sleep wouldn't come until he figured this out. His entire life was wrapped around one person… Hollis Mann, and he suddenly realized he was losing her. There is a nervous tapping on his desk and he looks up to see DiNozzo standing there with two cups of coffee. He sighs and tries to smile at his friend.

"DiNozzo… your day starting off so bad you need two cups of coffee?"

"No, but you look like you could use 'em." He hands Gibbs a cup and then stands there studying the man who has been through so much. There is a long moment of silence as both men recall the events of the past few days. DiNozzo watches Gibbs absently run his fingers over the painful bruise above his left ear. He has never doubted his boss's courage and he finds it hard to believe he and Colonel Mann almost died yesterday. Gibbs notices him studying him and guesses correctly what's on his mind.

Gibbs motions for Tony to sit down and then sighs heavily. He's never been one to talk about his personal life, but right now, let's a little slip out. "You ever been in love, DiNozzo? I mean really in love... not your weekly thing."

Tony grins, about to joke, but then realizes his boss is serious. He sighs, "Yea... you know how that turned out. No way it was gonna work between us after her father was killed."

"Well, I know exactly how you felt... I was distracted out there... on that boat, that I lost my focus. I got careless and I almost got us both killed." Their eyes meet for a long moment and the sadness in Gibbs' eyes tells DiNozzo there isn't anything he can do to help. They sit in silence, both lost in thoughts of how their lives have turned out.

******

The next day, Holly still hasn't made any attempt to contact him. Gibbs begins to wonder if he should call her… he hadn't given her the chance to explain when he'd so coldly told her they were through. She didn't owe him any explanations after the way he'd behaved, but that doesn't stop him from picking up the phone a million times to call her. Each time he stops half way through dialing her number, knowing the phone was too impersonal for what needed to be said. He is in the middle of dialing again when he hears the elevator bell. He looks up to see Turk Daniels coming towards him. Gibbs replaces the phone in the receiver as Turk stops in front of his desk, "Didn't mean to interrupt…"

"No problem… what can I do for you Mr. Daniels?"

"Well, for starters you can call me Turk. I never much went in for all those formalities."

"Okay, what can I do for you, Turk?"

"Well… a few things really. I just came to tell you the Coast Guard has concluded their investigation into the death of John Skow."

"Yea, I heard. Clark called me earlier to say they were able to unravel most of the smuggling scheme from what Tobin told them."

"Yea, Delgado was able to fill in the Cuban details, but neither one knew who was running the show up here."

"Just out of curiosity… where did you stash Delgado after you abducted him from the parking lot at the bar?"

"I didn't abduct him… I merely took him into protective custody. After what he told me Skow would have killed him. A friend kept an eye on him for me."

"I also heard the Coast Guard is gonna let Skow's death go as 'a bit excessive, but justified'. I'd

say I have to agree with that conclusion. I think a harpoon through a man's back is excessive."

"Really? If saw that creep pointing a high powered .223 rifle at Holly with his finger on the trigger… would you have run him through?"

There is a moment's silence as their eyes meet across the room and Gibbs knows he's right. If he'd been in Turk's shoes he would have done whatever it took to ensure Holly's safety. He finally nods, running his hand up around his neck. "Yea, I probably would have done the same thing."

"Which brings me to the second part for my visit… my case is almost wrapped up here. I've just got one more thing to take care of then I'll be heading back home."

"Your case?"

Turk flips a coin in the air and then pauses for dramatic effect. "Ever search for hidden treasure, Gibbs?" Gibbs stares at him, wondering what Turk's got going this time. When he doesn't answer, Turk goes on to tell him about the letter he received from Scott McWhirter's girlfriend.

It had to do with Skow and the _Cyclops..._ and his father. The letter tied it all together and exposed his father as the main connection here. This was the missing piece to bring the whole case together and Turk was handing it to him on a platter. After going over the details, Turk hands over the letter and makes his exit.

******

After two days Holly's aches and pains are beginning to fade, but the bruises are still visible. She wears a long sleeved shirt to cover the ones on her arms and concentrates on her cleaning. She can't remember the last time she's had five days off in a row so she's taking advantage of it to clean her house from top to bottom. Besides the work kept her mind off Gibbs. Her efforts have her working up a sweat so she stops momentarily to push the sleeves of her long sleeved t-shirt up to the elbow. She ignores the purplish bruise on her left arm and picks up her scrub brush to get back to work.

It's obvious Gibbs doesn't want to have anything else to do with her. She takes several deep breaths to calm her emotions, but it does nothing for the pain in her heart. She had held onto a small flicker of hope that she and Gibbs could talk things out, but now that hope is gone. The implication of his words hit home… he knew she was married... he had seen her with Greg. She's been guarding her secret for so long that it seems very wrong to discuss it… especially with Gibbs, but she never imagined he would find out. She picks up a dish rag and begins to absently wipe down the spotless counter, trying to keep busy while her mind sorts it out.

Holly decided to wait until the weekend before she went to see Gibbs. After all, he had told her to take a few days to decide what she wanted. Now, she wanted to make sure nothing would disturb them during their talk. She knows the moment she comes face to face with him she'll have to fight back the urge to fall into his arms and beg for forgiveness, but she is determined to be strong... like she always has been when faced with a problem.

Saturday afternoon she makes her appearance at his house. Sitting beside her on the seat is a suitcase and she glances over at it now. She wonders for the millionth time if she's doing the right thing… even now she isn't sure. She parks her car on the street in front of Gibbs' house, then sits there for a long moment. She half expects to see him watching her from a window, but when she sees nothing she carries the suitcase up to his door. Her hand is trembling as she reaches up turn the knob and take a couple steps inside. She comes face to face with Gibbs.

They stare at each other in silence. Gibbs is unshaven and Holly feels her pulse jump. Clean shaven he was a handsome man, but with a slight beard and his hair uncombed he had a dark, sexy aura about him that pulled at Holly like a magnet. Gibbs' eyes travel over her from head to foot, lingering on the suitcase as a frown creases his brow. "You going somewhere?"

"No… I… I came here to talk."

Their eyes meet and Gibbs can see under the calm front she is desperately trying to hold onto. Her hand tightens on the handle of the suitcase, but she doesn't say more. Gibbs finally steps back to allow her to enter the living room. "Well, there's no need to have the neighbors watching."

Holly can't tell by his sarcastic comment if he doesn't want her in his house... or truly doesn't want the neighbors to see them arguing. She steps past him and continues into the living room with the suitcase. She is a little surprised to see how messy it is. There are beer bottles sitting around the living room, clothing draped over the back of the sofa and an empty bourbon bottle lying on the floor. This more than anything tells her how upset Gibbs has been over their break-up and it gives her a glimmer of hope. She stands still, holding the suitcase as Gibbs follows her into the room.

He's always been a neat person, but over the last few days… he was just too upset to care. He hasn't shaved or gotten dressed yet today as his old t-shirt and jeans indicate. Holly on the other hand looks like a vision of perfection to him… and it wasn't just because she was wearing a dress. As he is studying her he notices the way she keeps tapping the suitcase with her finger. He draws her attention back to it. "If you want to talk… why the suitcase?"

"I… its yours." She hears the tremor in her voice and takes a deep breath to calm herself as she steps closer and holds out the suitcase to him. She had a speech all planned and now struggles to remember it as their fingers touch slightly in the exchange of the case. Gibbs looks at the suitcase, not recognizing it as his, but Holly rushes on to explain.

"Gibbs… I came here to explain… things that are long overdue. That suitcase is yours… to do what you want with it. The only thing I ask is that you don't open it up until I've said what I came here to say."

Gibbs looks from her to the case in his hand and is even more curious. He wonders if there might be something inside like a dead cat. He quickly controls the smile tugging at the corner of his lips. He clears his throat as he now sets the suitcase beside him on the sofa and turns his attention back to her.

"Okay. I'll hear you out… after all, I did tell you to decide. But, before you even begin… my mind is made up."

Their eyes meet and he sees her lip tremble as she tries to control the fear his last words caused her. Would anything she said here make a difference? She has no way of knowing, but the only way to find out was to charge right in, "That's all I'm asking for, Jethro… is just that you listen … no matter how hard it is."

She takes a deep breath and then turns away to pace across the room. She feels the words catch in her throat as they rush to come out, but she forces herself to calm down and explain it as she rehearsed. "You and I… we've been together … two years. And they've been the happiest years of my life… I want you to know that. I never meant for any of this to happen, but I know now… as I knew three years ago when I met you… that the truth would affect our relationship. I guess that's why I've never told you… I didn't want to lose you."

She is across the room from him, but he can see she is shaking and continues to take deep breaths as she forces herself to remain calm. He watches as she gently fingers a picture frame… a photo of them on a past camping trip that held good memories for them both. "I was married… before I met you. I never told you about that time in my life… just like you never told me about Shannon and Kelly."

"It's hardly the same thing. My wife died... your husband is still around."

She turns to look at him then, trying to gauge his words, but he remains immobile. His expression is blank, but not angry. She sees the intensity in him and a tentative flutter in her chest gives her hope. He remains silent so she continues. "When I first met you, I had just transferred to D.C. from Korea. When I was stationed in Seoul, I met Greg. He was a Captain and I was a cocky Lieutenant. We hit it off and decided to get married... before we even knew each other. We were happy, I guess, but it didn't take long before we both realized we made better friends than lovers. We'd been married about a year when we decided to separate. That's when it happened… Greg's accident. He was involved in a terrible accident one night, when his helo went down on a routine flight. At first they didn't think he was going to make it."

Gibbs listens intently, to these hidden details of Holly's real life. He sees how upset she is and wants to comfort her, but he knows she wouldn't let him. So he remains still as she takes several deep breaths. "He did survive… barely, but the accident left him paralyzed from the neck down. His life was basically over… for a long time he went through depression, anger, guilt… all of which they say are normal… I just couldn't walk away. I couldn't let him face all that alone, so I stayed with him."

Her words hit Gibbs hard and he feels like a ton of bricks have just landed on him. Loyalty and commitment are two of the things he admires most... so how could he fault her for this? His chest is so tight he can barely breathe, but he manages to ask, "You're still married then?"

Holly knew it was a logical question and one he had a right to ask. She also knows how much pain this is causing him… to find out there's been another man in her life all this time. She can't bring herself to look at him as she slowly shakes her head. "No… not legally. I told Greg I would stay with him but… he insisted we get divorced as planned. He didn't want me to waste my life with him… in the condition he was in. His lawyer drew up the papers, but I refused to sign them. He went through with it anyway. I know in his mind he was doing the right thing… given the circumstances, but I didn't care. I wasn't going to let him go through that alone. So… I ignored his anger and his depression… until he finally accepted that I wasn't going to leave him. Can you understand that, Gibbs?"

She finally turns to face him and when their eyes meet she can see the conflict of emotions in him. He understands her loyalty, but at the same time he can't allow himself to be the man to come between them now. She wants him to know the entire truth; "He could get better care here in DC, so that's when we moved here. I got transferred to CID and everything was fine… for about a year."

She pauses to study him, waiting until his eyes come up to hers. She sees the stormy emotion in him and smiles for the first time. "Then I met you... at first I tried not to notice you… tried to ignore how you made me feel. I was attracted to you from the beginning, but it made me feel guilty. I had gotten Greg settled into the new care home here and he was just beginning to come out of his depression. He was glad I'd decided to stay with him and… told me that I was the only reason he kept going. Because he knew I was there for him."

She breaks off as tears suddenly fill her eyes and her throat closes tightly. Her hand comes up to quickly wipe away a tear as it rolls slowly down her cheek. He is just beginning to understand Holly's dilemma and he gives himself a mental head slap for being such a bastard to her. He wants to take her in his arms, but Holly quickly gets her emotions back under control. Her voice is a bit huskier now, but she tries to sound calm. "I didn't know what to do… if I told him I had found someone new it would have destroyed him… his health is so fragile… they never expected him to last this long…"

"So you've led a double life all this time… "

"Yes… I'm sorry, Jethro. I never meant to hurt you… it just got out of control. When we started dating… I knew you were a man I could love. I just didn't want to lose you. I kept thinking… hoping I wouldn't have to tell you about Greg… but, as the years went by… and we were more involved… it just happened."

Gibbs finally understands why Holly has refused to marry him all these years… not because she didn't love him, but because she felt obligated to her first husband. Holly had said his health was very fragile. "That's where you go when you told me you were volunteering at the hospital."

"Yea, I… I go to visit him."

"Three days a week… that's why you stuck to that schedule all this time."

"Yes… it's important to Greg, to his stability so… I split my time between you."

"Last week… you stayed with me two nights in a row… why?"

Now is the time to put everything on the table… to tell him the whole truth if there's any chance of salvaging her relationship with him. She smiles sadly and shrugs, "You're not the only one who wants to wake up in the same bed more than every other day, Gibbs… I gave in to a moment of weakness… I got careless… and you found out. I admit it was the wrong decision to make… but that's all it was… a wrong decision."

She keeps her eyes glued to his, but now takes several deep calming breaths. She simply wanted to tell him about Greg and let him know why she's behaved the way she has. She now sighs tiredly and her body seems to sag as the last of her tension leaves her. Gibbs takes a step towards her, but her hand shoots up to stop him.

"Don't... please. I came here to tell you the truth. There is another man in my life… and its Greg. I've told you why I've done the things I've done… and if you believe me or not… I did them for us." Tears fill her eyes again and she fights to control them as her emotions once again threaten to take over. She takes several shaky breaths and lowers her eyes from his as she gestures to the suitcase once more. "I brought that to you… do with it what you want, but please… think about what I've told you today before you open it."

Holly holds on to her dignity with every ounce of her will power and raises her eyes to meet his one last time, trying to gauge his response, but finding his eyes devoid of any emotion. She takes a shaky breath, realizing she's done all she can to convince him. She steps around him and hurries towards the front door.


	8. Chapter 8

**CHAPTER EIGHT**

Long after Hollis left his house, Gibbs stood in the same position, stunned by the whole conversation. He has to admit he has a better understanding of her motives now, but that doesn't explain everything. Why hadn't she just told him about Greg in the first place? Had she really thought he wouldn't understand? She wasn't actually married to the guy... but in her heart, she still was. Gibbs searches deep inside for that answer and can't say one hundred percent that he would have understood. Holly knew how he would react.

Hollis loves another man enough to stay so devoted to him… even after all this time. Was it love or guilt or just the compassion of a good friend that motivated her to stay with him all these years? She said they had decided to divorce… on good terms before the accident happened, so it didn't seem likely that Hollis somehow fell madly in love with him afterwards. If that were true then she either felt loyalty as a friend to stand by him. All Gibbs knew for certain was this guy, Greg, must be one hell of a man to have Hollis so devoted to him.

His eyes keep returning to the suitcase sitting on the chair beside him. Holly's words scrolling through his head and he wonders what could be inside. She made it clear she wanted him to make up his mind about them before he looked inside… why? Was there really a dead cat in there? Again a smile tugs at the corner of his mouth. Well, if there was he'd know soon enough. He had no plans to open the case right now… mainly because he was afraid he'd find all of his personal belongings from Holly's house in there. If she packed them up to return to him it would mean she really didn't want to work things out. And after the rotten things he said to her lately… he couldn't really blame her if she did. She'd come here today to tell him the truth… but she hadn't necessarily said she wanted to get back together. She hadn't made any emotional pleas for him to forgive her. She hadn't even said she loved him. Her only statement had been that she did what she did for him… for them. Gibbs finally decides to leave the case where it is. Somehow even touching it would in some way be a violation of her request. He finally leaves the room, determined to ignore the case until he knew what to do.

Over the rest of his weekend, Gibbs concentrates on anything to keep his mind off the damned suitcase. Every time he walked by the room it seemed to be calling to him. He found himself a hundred times just standing there staring at it as if something magical would solve all his problems. He keeps busy with a dozen projects he's been putting off and works furiously until he is so tired he can finally fall into bed to sleep in complete exhaustion.

It isn't until Monday morning that Gibbs has an answer to his dilemma. Through all his soul searching his mind kept repeating one question… what would he do without her? And in the end, Gibbs knew the answer… no matter what happened before… no matter what problems they have to overcome… he couldn't envision life without Hollis in it. If that meant accepting another man in her life… okay. He could live with that. What he couldn't live with was life without Hollis.

As if a huge weight has suddenly been lifted from his shoulders he decides to salvage his relationship with Hollis. Now, he once again stands staring down at the suitcase, finally ready to open it and face the proof… the phone rings. Gibbs listens to it ring several times, debating whether to ignore it, but then sighs and goes to answer it. He half expects it to be Hollis on the other end, but is surprised when he hears Turk's voice.

"Gibbs, its Turk. I need to see you… I've got that something for you."

"From the letter?"

"Yea, call it my going away present. You interested?"

"Aahh… sure… where?"

"At the coffee shop out on Land's End Pier?"

"Ok… yea, half an hour." Without any farewells, Turk hangs up the phone.

Gibbs stands there staring at the receiver for a moment, angry at the interruption. He finally sighs, glancing over at the suitcase once more. His moment of truth will have to wait as he grabs his stuff and heads out the door for his meeting with Turk.

At the diner on Land's End Pier, Gibbs finds Turk seated in a quiet corner booth sipping coffee. He comes over and takes the opposite bench without a word, simply nodding his greeting as a pretty young waitress approaches. "Just coffee, thanks."

When she left to go fill his order, Gibbs turns his attention to Turk. Their eyes meet across the table and Gibbs finally breaks the silence. "You called this meeting… what do you have?"

Turk doesn't answer right away as the waitress brings his coffee. She sets it down and then looks from Gibbs to Turk uneasily. Turk merely winks at her and she withdraws to leave them alone.

"I told you I was working for someone on a case related to this, right? Well, I was originally

hired to find Scott McWhirter… by his father. He gave me some bull story about them having

an argument and then Scott ran off. I knew he was blowing smoke right from the start…

especially when he mentioned that when I found Scott I was to make sure I found the property

Scott took from him and return it."

"The letter property?"

"He's never said… which only led me to believe it was something shady. Then, a few days after

his body washed up, she gets a letter from him. Apparently he mailed it from Miami, but the tide

brought his body home before the mail delivery."

"Old man McWhirter's property… no wonder he was so hot and heavy to find his son."

"Yea… and not out of any love for his son, you can bet on that. That's why I called you, Gibbs. I found the property… but I left it where it was for now. McWhirter doesn't know I've found it yet. Thought maybe you'd like to tie up some loose ends on your big smuggling case with the Coast Guard. I'll let you take care of your arrangements before I contact McWhirter and tell him I've recovered his property, okay?"

"You realize this might mean you don't get paid for the job, right?"

"Hell no… I get payment in advance… especially when I'm dealing with people like McWhirter. That money's already in my pocket… besides, I did what he hired me to do. What happens to him after its back in his possession isn't any concern of mine."

"All right, then… let me make a few phone calls and we'll try and set this up for tomorrow. Can you be in my office… around noon?"

"Sure, I'll be there, buddy."

Gibbs is standing up as he reaches for his wallet and tosses several ones on the table then just nods his thanks and heads for the door. After Gibbs has left the diner, Karen Walters quickly comes over to Turk to find out what's going to happen next. Turk explains it all to her and assures her she did the right thing because in the long run… Scott's father was responsible for his death.


	9. Chapter 9

**CHAPTER NINE**

By Monday evening, Hollis is beginning to believe she won't hear from Gibbs. She came home after her confession and waited to hear from him. Now, after two days she doesn't hold out much hope. Monday was her normal day to go visit Greg, but she had called and canceled… for the first time in six years. Early this morning, intent on going to visit, she went upstairs to put get dressed, but it just didn't feel right. She began to cry, realizing she no longer wanted to pretend any more. In her current emotional turmoil she knew she couldn't put on a happy face for Greg. It was best to skip a day… besides, it wasn't like she did it all the time. She just needed to be here, in her home waiting for Gibbs. The fact that he might not come was something she'd face later… tomorrow, when she had to face work. For today, she couldn't give up hope that he'd still want to work things out.

She completely cleaned her house on previous days so that left very little for her to do now. She decides to work on one of her long overdue craft projects piled up in her sewing room. For the most part, the concentration needed to keep from sewing her fingers together kept her mind off Gibbs… but not completely. The project was a quilt she'd been planning to make him for over a year now. Somehow, this seemed like a good time to start it… maybe her concentrated efforts on the quilt would somehow make him appear on her doorstep. Deep in concentration, she is carefully stitching two squares of material together when a strange feeling comes over her.

Her foot comes off the pedal, silencing the noisy buzz of the sewing machine as she senses someone watching her. She sits up slowly, turning towards the door to see Gibbs standing there. There is a long, tense silence as their eyes meet and each tries to gauge the others mood. He stands motionless with no expression on his face as she slowly stands up to face him. The quilt is forgotten as she notices that his hands are holding something behind his back. He still offers no comment so she nervously breaks the silence.

"I… I didn't hear you come in."

"Obviously… I came by to return this."

At that he brings his hands around front to reveal her small suitcase. He tosses it on the bed beside her. Her eyes follow it as it lands next to her with a soft thud and her mind races over the implications. Did he look inside? Was he simply returning the case and all its contents to her? Was tossing it back at her his way of telling her he didn't want anything further to do with her? Her heart is pounding so hard the room suddenly begins to spin around her. She's never been one for hysteria or fainting, but the thought that this could be it… that it was over between them is more than she can take. She hasn't slept much lately and now all of her fears rush to the surface as she turns away from him to hide her pain.  
She stands staring at the case as a soft whimper escapes her throat. Gibbs sees her sway as the color drains from her face; she is about to faint. Her hand comes up to her throat, shaking badly as she tries to control her emotions. She is staring intently at the suitcase and doesn't hear Gibbs come up behind her. He sees her sway slightly and his hands come out to firmly grip her shoulders, steadying her."Holly, you all right?""Yea… I'm ok… I just…"  
"You got white as a sheet… I thought you were gonna' pass out.""I'm all right… really."

She tenses, trying to control the tremors shaking her body, but to Gibbs she is tensing away from his touch. He understands, considering all they've been through lately, but he doesn't take his hands from her shoulders. Just touching her now brings him a confidence he hasn't felt in many days. She continues to stare at the case as she composes herself. "I… seeing you here… with that… I just wasn't prepared to have you bring it back."

Although her voice is level and low, Gibbs suddenly realizes why she reacted the way she did. She thought he was returning the case… as she left it with him. And if he were that meant it was over for good. His lip twitches in a slight smile, understanding her fears, but not ready to end his little game yet. His fingers tighten on her shoulders as he pushes her closer to the bed. "Pick it up." She hesitates, not wanting to face the truth.

She is very conscious of him standing directly behind her and tries to ignore the way her pulse is fluttering erratically. If this was the end for them she wanted to put it off as long as possible. When she still doesn't move he places a hand on her elbow and firmly moves her hand out to touch the case. He stands beside her now, holding her hand still even as she recoils from touching the case. Gibbs slides his hand down to lay over hers and make her grip the handle.

"Pick it up."

She stands motionless, like a puppet as he now picks the case up with her. It feels lighter than she remembers, but thinks this is only because he is holding part of the weight. He now turns her around as he marches her to the door. She moves stiffly, as if in some strange nightmare, but she can't seem to protest as he guides her down the hall to her bedroom. He walks her up to the bed and moves her hand to set the case on it. He doesn't release her hand as he gives his next order.

"Open it."

She hesitates again, but he merely moves her hand to the latch for her. She feels panic welling up in her, knowing this is the final moment as a soft gasp escapes her as he flips the latch open. With that done, he finally releases her hand, allowing her to open the case on her own. It takes her several seconds to get up the courage to do it, but when she does lift the lid she is stunned. It is empty and she stands there staring in disbelief.

Gibbs is watching her closely, but when she doesn't reply he softly says, "I thought you might need it."

"Why?"

"Because… you're gonna pack the rest of your stuff… right now."

"But…"

"No more games, Holly. I love you… and I'm not gonna let you go. I don't care if I have

to kidnap you… you're coming home with me where you belong."

There are tears streaming down her cheeks, but still she refuses to look at him. Gibbs can't tell if they are happy or sad tears so he reaches out to cup her chin in his hand, guiding it as he brings her eyes up to his. When their eyes meet he huskily pleads; "Please, forgive me, honey… I can't live without you."

He kisses her gently and Holly feels her heart exploding with happiness. She is crying openly now as she turns to melt into his arms. Her arms wrap tightly around his neck as she breathlessly whispers, "Oh, Gibbs… I need you too…" He holds her so tight she can hardly breathe, but she doesn't even notice.

She begins placing frantic kisses along the column of his throat. Gibbs pulls back just far enough to take her in a searching kiss that leaves no doubt about his feelings for her. Holly eagerly returns his caress, moaning softly as she surrenders to his urgent demand and deepens the kiss. Like a dying man in search of water, Gibbs can't seem to get enough of her and each kiss blends into the next. It is a long time before they finally part, both panting hard as their eyes simmer with passion. All the fear and pain of the past days is gone as the famous Gibbs smirk appears.

"You want me to help you pack?"

Holly hesitates to answer, needing to be sure Gibbs understands everything he's getting into with her. She lowers her eyes to his chin and nervously shakes her head. "Gibbs… what if I don't want to move to your house?"

A sudden jolt of fear hits him, but he controls it… remembering his plan not to let her back out of this. He knows it will be hard for her, considering everything she's been through, but he is determined to resolve this rift between them.

"Ok… so, we'll live here. I don't care, Holly… but one way or the other you're gonna be living with me today. "

"You know… I… I have commitments… that hasn't changed."

Gibbs studies her for a moment, knowing she is referring to her visits to Greg. He has given a lot of thought to this and knows he can't ask her to stop visiting… or caring for him. In the long run it is a minor problem as long as he knows she's his the rest of the time. His fingers come up to stroke back her hair. "Yea, I know… that's why I suggested you move to my house… its closer to the care center."

Her eyes now come up to meet his and she can see the truth in his eyes. He is accepting Greg as a part of their lives… and trying to make it as easy on her as possible. Tears once again fill her eyes and her voice trembles as she is overwhelmed with love for him.

"Jethro… I don't deserve you, but I love you so much!"

"I love you too, honey… now, let's start packing."

"Later… I have something more urgent I need you to do."

Holly leans closer to take him in another slow, romantic kiss. All time stands still as she shows him exactly what she wants of him now. As their kiss continues she slowly steps back, pulling him with her until she is against the bed. Gibbs supports her as she leans over to push the suitcase to the floor. He follows her motion, supporting them both on his arm as he lowers her onto her back beneath him. He covers her body with his own as she moans softly and curves her arms around him. She draws his mouth back down to hers, nibbling on his lips as she huskily whispers, "Love me…"

"You know I do…"

"Show me…" The sultry look in her eyes tells him she doesn't want sex… she wants his love.

He begins a slow, steady assault on her senses, kissing her with such sweet emotion she can't contain the excitement growing inside her. They spend long minutes just kissing and touching as he allows his lips to glide sensuously over her cheeks, eyes and throat. Holly's pulse is racing as his lips find the quick beat in her throat. His tongue skillfully caresses it and a breathless sigh escapes her. When his lips again find hers wave after wave of pleasure courses through her when his tongue delves deeply in search of her own. She is lost in a world of pleasure, allowing her passion free rein as his hand now slips up under her t-shirt. His kisses have her panting for more as his hand cups her breast through her thin lace bra. He squeezes it firmly, rolling her hard nipple between his finger and thumb. Holly cries out, arching up to him as starbursts of bittersweet pain explode inside her. She breaks the kiss, gasping softly as her body trembles in his arms.

He lowers his mouth to her ear, breathing heavily as he nips her ear. I missed you."

He continues to gently roll her nipple between his fingers, causing her to tremble in response. His tongue torments her further, dipping into her ear as he growls huskily to her. She trembles in response as waves of anticipation radiate from her hips. She wraps her leg around his hips as she urges him closer, lifting up to press her hips against the hardness of his.

"Mmmnnn… baby… I need you… deep inside me… where you belong…"

Gibbs presses his hips to hers, tormenting her further as he takes his time, tormenting her as he slowly begins to remove her clothing. She helps him pull her t-shirt up over her head and then his own before Gibbs turns his attention to the lacy barrier. He lowers his mouth to her breast, nuzzling her soft skin as his hand slips underneath her to unfasten the clasp. She arches her back to help him and her bra is soon tossed across the room in careless disregard. Gibbs wastes no time claiming his prize as his mouth drops to one firm tip.

Hollis's head rolls back, arching up to him as a husky moan escapes her. He hungrily mauls one, then the other, suckling hard and demanding her complete surrender. Holly is overcome by the intense waves of excitement his rough caress is bringing her. Her hand curves into the thick hair to guide him. In his need, Gibbs nips her flesh and she whimpers in pain. Gibbs pulls back for a moment, breathing raggedly as his eyes come up to meet hers. Silent understanding passes between them before Holly guides his mouth back to her breast. This time, Gibbs has his passion under control and focuses on pleasing her as he removes the remainder of their clothing. When they are both naked he presses the hard shaft of his manhood against her thigh and Holly moans in response. She once again wraps her leg up around his hips, urging him closer. Gibbs brings his eyes up as he mounts her, settling into the cradle of her hips.

"Do you love me?""I love you, Jethro… more than I can ever show you… the way you touch me… the way you kiss me… the... mmmnnn…"

As she talks, her hands glide slowly down his back and come to settle on his hips. She raises her knees up high along his sides; urging him to enter her. He complies and their eyes remain locked as his big cock slides slowly inside her. Her words trail off on a soft moan of pure pleasure and her eyes flutter for a moment as she is overcome by his possession. When he is fully embedded in her he stops and her eyes open again to meet his. The love shining in her eyes is over-whelming as she huskily continues.

"I love you… so deep inside me… so hard… so perfect… ooohhh…"

Her husky words excite him as he reaches down to hook his arm behind her knee, pulling it higher. He thrusts into her, hot and wet. He lowers his head to her shoulder, growling huskily as he fights for control. Slow and steady, pulling back until to hesitate then plunging back in until he is buried deep inside her.

"Aaahhh… honey… you were made for me…"

She smiles at his words and her arms curl up around his back, holding on as she meets his thrusts perfectly. They spend long minutes moving slow and easy, lost in the sensual pleasure as he kisses her with the same slow intensity. His tongue delves into her mouth, twining with hers as the tidal wave builds in them. Holly finally breaks the kiss to arch her head back, moaning huskily as she is overcome with a desire only he can satisfy.

"Ooohhh… baby… ooohhh please… now…"

He feels her body trembling in his arms and knows she is on the verge. Her hands grip his hips, urging him on as her legs curl up high along his back. He begins to thrust harder, but still slow and she moans huskily in response. His torment continues as he repeatedly brings her to the brink of insanity, only to back off and keep her dangling on the edge. She is panting shallowly with each thrust.

"Jethro… please… aaahhh… now… oh… God… yes… yes!"

At her pleading Gibbs begins to thrust hard and deep as he gives her what she craves. She clings to him, arching her body up as he drives his cock deeply until she is lost in a world of mindless pleasure. Her body arches as she is overcome with waves of intense pleasure, moaning every time he drives into her. Gibbs prolongs her orgasm, thrusting hard and then holding it there before slowly withdrawing to do it again. Holly is lost, flooded by the tidal wave of sheer sensation washing over her. Gibbs lowers his mouth to her ear and nips her gently.

"Mmnn… that's right… come for me, baby…"

He gradually slows his pace, bringing her down and enjoying the way her canal tightly grips his cock. It would be very easy to let himself go now, but he keeps a tight rein on his passion. When Holly is lying beneath him, calm, he raises up on his elbows to look into her hazy eyes. It never ceases to amaze him when he looks in her eyes at this moment… the total surrender, the total love takes his breath away.

He lowers his mouth to hers in a slow, searching kiss and they spend long minutes just kissing as he remains still inside her. When he finally pulls back it is only to reposition himself as he moves to her side. He turns her onto her side, facing away from him as he lays behind her, pressing himself close to her back. He lifts her leg, holding it up along her side as he slowly pushes his shaft back inside her. Hollis holds her leg up, freeing his hand to do other things. He supports himself on his arm as he now reaches up to caress her breast. He rubs his thumb across her nipple and it hardens to his touch as a soft moan escapes her. He then presses her back against his chest as he bends his head down to claim the dark tip. She moans again, loving the sensation as he suckles her swollen breast while sliding his cock slowly into her body. His hand cups her breast, gripping it firmly as he draws it up to his mouth and Holly arches up to comply. His mouth becomes rougher as his teeth close around her nipple to hold it while his tongue flicks over the tip. Sharp waves of bittersweet pain course through her and she cries out as her canal clamps down in response to his torment. He growls huskily and begins to thrust harder now.

Hollis is panting softly, moaning with each thrust as he once again takes her to the edge of her sanity. Her hand comes up to grasp his hand as she pulls it away from her breast. He allows her to push his hand lower until it covers her sex. He strokes her sex in rhythm with his thrusting hips and a low groan of pleasure tells him she is once again soaring to that mindless abyss. Hollis loses herself in the moment as he begins to thrust harder and faster now. It isn't long before Hollis is trembling as she cries out and arches her body in mindless ecstasy.

Gibbs continues to stroke her sex hard and fast, but when he feels the tidal wave rushing forth inside him and suddenly shifts his weight as he rolls her onto her stomach, mounting her from behind as he now drives into her hard and fast. His hand lifts her hips as he rams into her, driving with such force he pushes her across the bed. Hollis is stunned by the intensity of the pleasure coursing through her and can only gasp breathlessly. He supports his weight on his elbow as he lowers his head to her shoulder. His teeth dig in, holding her captive as he rams into her fast and furious for several seconds then goes rigid above her. His entire body trembles as a primitive growl escapes him. After several moments he sighs and finally collapses on her, completely drained. He is panting hard, dazed by the intensity of the orgasm as he releases her flesh.

"Aaahhh… baby… that was…""…incredible."

Gibbs smiles tiredly as she finishes his thought and pushes his cock into her again, causing her to moan as a tremor shakes her. He kisses her back and huskily agrees with her assessment. "Yes it was…"

It is late into the evening before they venture from bed, finally satisfied and starving. Gibbs and Holly spent Sunday evening working out their living arrangements.

On Monday Turk shows up at the Navy Yard as scheduled. He is just entering the main office when McGee approaches and greets him. "Hey, Mr. Daniels… you still in town?"

"Yea... Hey, is Gibbs in? He told me to be here around noon."

"Aahh… yea, he's in the Director's with Colonel Mann. I'll let them know you're here."

Gibbs and Hollis standing side by side, waiting while Director Vance looks over a file. Keeping his eyes on the file, Vance pretends to miss the intimacy between them as Gibbs nudges her in the arm gently and she smiles in return. He clears his throat and looks up just as Gibbs' cell phone buzzes on his hip. He listens to McGee's announcement that Turk Daniels has arrived and then responds, "Aahh… no, I'll be right down." He flips the phone closed, "Daniels is here."

"Okay, so tell me again why we're not just putting a call through to the Coast Guard guys to let them handle this?"

"Director, this is still a murder investigation... and we... Agent Gibbs and myself, we believe his father is ultimately responsible for his son's death."

"Really? Did he stab him? Did he dump him in the ocean?"

"Come on, Leon... you know he is. Being the drug connection in D.C that kept Skow and his crew in business is the reason Scott was calling the Coast Guard to give them info on the smuggling operation. He knew his father was involved... and he hid his stash of heroin as insurance, just like the letter said."

He stares from one to the other, wondering how long they were going to keep pretending they weren't in a relationship. Vance finally hands the file back to Gibbs as he stands up. "All right. I'll make the call. Just make sure you tie up all the loose ends, Gibbs. I want this case closed."

Gibbs ushers her out of Vance's office as Hollis waves his thanks. As they come down the stairs, Turk is standing there with McGee. Hollis smiles at the tall Texan, "Howdy, cowboy."

"You know, most people say something stupid like that to me and I wanna' bust 'em in the chops, but coming from you I kinda like it."

"That because you're a sucker for a woman in uniform, Daniels?"

"No… I'm a sucker for a beautiful woman, Gibbs. Just like you." He winks at Colonel Mann, letting her know there is more to their relationship than being professional colleagues. Gibbs just smirks to himself and lets the comment go as he strides over to his desk.

Tony, Ziva and McGee all watch the interchange with interest, amazed that their boss didn't rip his head off for such a personal comment. Instead he just grinned. Ziva comes to stand next to Tony and they exchange a look that says it all. McGee joins them looking confused as he comments, "He's sure in a good mood today."

"Yes, he is."

"Any idea why...?" McGee doesn't finish his question as Tony reaches around to gently head slap him.

"Hey! What was that for?" He looks to the senior field agent with indignation, but it is Ziva who answers him.

"McGee, how can you be so unobservant?" McGee now realizes he has missed one of those 'human moments' and scans the others for some sign of what he missed. By this time, Gibbs, Colonel Mann and Turk are all heading for the elevators.

"Hey! You three stooges coming or not?" Gibbs turns to yell at them as the elevator dings and the door slides open. They all three rush to grab their gear and make it to the elevator before the doors close.

DiNozzo, being the senior agent is the first to ask for clarification on their destination. "So, where we headed, boss?"

"When Scott got back from the service, he found his old man had gone into the smuggling business. His old man rationalized it to running moon-shine during prohibition." It only takes him a few moments to give them the quick rundown on what's going to take place today. Hollis watches Gibbs and is amazed she almost lost him. When the elevator opens, the team is up to speed and knows what they need to do.

******

An hour later Wayne McWhirter is down at the Land's End Marina. He didn't waste any time after he got the call from Turk Daniels saying he'd found his 'missing property.' McWhirter located the hidden property where Turk told him it would be; where his son stashed it weeks ago. McWhirter brought along a dive tank and mask so he could retrieve his precious property. There is a chain link fence with a rusty old chain and padlock securing the entrance to the old pier, but McWhirter simply pulls out a key to unlock it. A sign on the gate reads, "Keep out – property of McWhirter Salvage". Shortly after the pier was condemned McWhirter Salvage put a claim on it and the waters around it for salvage rights. He put this fence up to keep others out and ironically his son used it to keep him away from his own property. He swings the gate out of his way and carries the equipment casually down to the old, abandoned pier that no one uses anymore.

At the end of the pier he quickly puts on his dive gear and then leaps off the end of the pier. He sinks down below the surface to search for the metal chest. It doesn't take him long to locate it under twenty feet of water, right where Turk said it would be. He ties a rope to the handles on either end and leaves the chest where it is as he now kicks his way back to the surface with the rest of the rope uncoiling in his hand. He swims to the pier ladder and starts to climb up, while still clutching the rope in his hand.

He doesn't notice the dozen eyes watching him from various hiding places along the pier and in other boats throughout the marina. He is intent on recovering his property; quickly tearing off his dive gear before stepping back to the edge to begin pulling the chest up. He has just about gotten the heavy chest up to the old rotted boards of the pier when he hears the boards of the old pier creaking behind him. Startled, his head snaps around to see Gibbs, Hollis and Turk coming up behind him. Shock registers on his face for a moment then he quickly masks it. His hands stay frozen on the line, not pulling it in and not releasing it either. McWhirter tries to control the tremor in his voice as he gruffly snaps at them.

"This is private property."

Gibbs and Turk ignore him and step closer as they peer over the edge to where the rope is tied to the dripping metal chest. They flank him on either side as Turk glances over to McWhirter.

"You locate your property, Mr. McWhirter? Go on, haul it up… we all want to see what was so important."

McWhirter stays frozen in place while he wars between his greed and his fear of being caught. His mind works furiously as he looks from one man to the other, wondering if they really know what's inside the chest. He takes a chance and thinks he can bluff his way past them. He quickly takes up the slack again and hauls the chest up onto the pier. He turns to Turk now and lowers his voice. "I hired you to do a job… what the hell are they doing here?"

Hollis overhears his question and speaks for the first time as she steps up and casually answers for Turk. "We're working your son's murder case... remember?"

While McWhirter's attention is diverted to Hollis; Gibbs moves in to grab the rope from his startled hands. Before he can react, Gibbs coils the rope and hauls the chest out of his reach. They all stand around it staring, but McWhirter still believes he is the only one who knows its contents. He tries to bluff and purposely ignores the chest at Gibbs' feet as his cold eyes turn on Hollis.

"My son is dead… case closed… now get out… all of you!"

They ignore his order and stay put as Gibbs now drops the rope and uses his foot to kick the chest around until the opening latch is facing McWhirter. With that done he raises cold, knowing eyes to the old man. "Go ahead… open it."

For the first time McWhirter begins to panic as he realizes they do know what's inside the chest. His eyes dart from Gibbs' cold glare to Turk's smug look. His finger snaps out to point at Turk.

"I paid you good money! You betrayed…!"

"You paid me, one, to locate your son's killer. Ok, they're in jail… and two, to find this chest.

Well, here it is. Go ahead and open it!"

McWhirter feels trapped as his eyes dart from Turk to Gibbs and sees the folded paper he is holding out now. Gibbs smiles smugly as he drops the final nail in the old man's coffin. "This is a copy of the search warrant for this abandoned pier, your offices and your salvage yard."

McWhirter knows there is no way out of this and finally sighs as all resistance leaves him and his shoulders sag in surrender. Seeing that he has no intention of opening the chest and implicating himself in this smuggling operation, Gibbs finally kneels down on one knee and reaches across the small chest to flip the latch and open the lid. All eyes are glued to the chest as it opens to reveal hundreds of small glass vials containing pure white powder. Gibbs picks up one and studies it before placing it into Hollis' hand. She also studies it and holds it up to McWhirter as she glares at him in disgust.

"Heroin? Tell me, was your son's life worth this?"

McWhirter continues to stare at the small glass vial she holds. He can't bring himself to look her in the eye… overcome with shame for having been responsible for his son's death. His son, who was the only good thing to ever come from his entire, retched life… dead now because of his own greed. Gibbs motions for the Coast Guard MP's to come in and secure McWhirter and the evidence. Hollis hands the vial back to Gibbs and then heads back up the pier to wait, unable to contain the anger she feels at the man who's greed killed his own son… and almost killed her and Gibbs in the process.


	10. Chapter 10

**CHAPTER TEN**

Once the arrest was made, Captain Smith took over and his men assisted in the search of the McWhirter holdings. McGee and DiNozzo personally escort the chest back to the Coast Guard station to guard it until it can inventoried and impounded at a safe location. McGee and DiNozzo emptied the chest out onto a large table to count and dry the inventory. The final count was over two thousand small vials of the white powder and Clark authorizes them to break one open so its contents can be tested. McGee carefully removes a small amount and drops it into the test kit. He then seals the test and holds it up so they can all see as he breaks the small test tube of liquid inside. He shakes it, allowing the liquid to mix with the powder for a moment. Then as predicted the liquid suddenly begins to turn amber, then darker to orange, then darker still to a burnt brown which indicates a high grade of heroin.

"Heroin… and pure too. Each of these vials could be cut… oh… conservatively two, maybe three times and still put decent grade heroin out on the street." DiNozzo shares his knowledge from his time with the Baltimore Police.

"So, our good salvage yard owner was sitting on six or eight thousand times this heroin... in street value?"

"That's why he's in the salvage business, McGee… he knows how to turn a profit."

Hollis and Gibbs see Captain Clark, his aide and two military police officers striding towards them in a column of two. They look like they are marching in formation and Hollis can't help but roll her eyes as she notes how impressed the crowd of reporters is that follows their approach. Before the reporters notice them, Hollis sees Turk slipping away towards the door. McGee and DiNozzo quickly busy themselves guarding the evidence while the photographers begin crowding around to get shots of the huge seizure of drugs. Gibbs holds up his hands to indicate they should stay back and Captain Clark silently snaps his fingers to his MP's. They dart out to cut off the reporters, efficiently holding them back and guarding the evidence while McGee and DiNozzo look to their boss. Gibbs nods a silent message and turns to Matt Clark; handing him the paper with all the pertinent information on it. Clark scans it quickly and then turns to address the reporters. Gibbs tries to step away, but Clark motions for him to stay there and assist in the press conference. He gives the cameramen a few moments to get set up and then addresses them with the results of their long joint investigation into this massive smuggling operation which stretched all along the Eastern Seaboard.

Gibbs is uncomfortable, especially when Clark continually refers to him as being responsible for most of the investigation. Hollis manages to work her way back to the doorway, edging back out of the way to watch. One reporter now turns to Gibbs and asks a question. "Is this the biggest drug seizure in the history of NCIS?"

"I don't really know… as far as we are concerned, this is a homicide case… that's been solved. The drug seizures are incidental to that and fall under the jurisdiction of the Coast Guard."

Gibbs wants only to get away from these people because he hates the media and turns to Captain Clark; deferring to him to answer this part. "Yes, we have arrested three Americans and the Federal Police in Honduras have arrested three south of the border this morning. There are no more outstanding suspects… on either the drug case or the homicide."

As Clark answers questions, Hollis smiles at Gibbs from her position at the door. She sees his frustration, and motions for him to slip away and join her. Gibbs gives one last glance at Clark who has the media's attention and slowly walks away to join her.

"Come on… lets go grab a cold one. He's gonna be tied up for a while and I'm dying for a beer."

They disappear from the Coast Guard warehouse, unnoticed by everyone else in the room except DiNozzo who wishes he could join them.

******

An hour later Gibbs and Hollis sitting in a booth, drinking beer and laughing over a story Ziva just told them. DiNozzo and McGee walk up to their table and stands staring at them with their hands on their hips. "Thanks for bugging out on us."

"You had it under control… besides, Gibbs was in need of medicinal spirits."

"Come on, park your butts and tell us how Clark's glory parade went."

Tony smiles and motions for Ziva to slide out. When she does, he slides in and she resumes her position. McGee slides in on her other side. Holly reaches over to rest her hand on Gibbs' thigh under the table and when their eyes meet a secret message passes between them. He smiles and turns his attention back to his agents. This time, Tim doesn't miss the 'human interaction' and grins, proud he was finally aware of what the others seemed to have known all along.

"I like Matt Clark, but dealing with the Coast Guard on a criminal investigation is a pain in the butt. They're always thinking about their federal budget and planning every move to make them look good on their next budget analysis request."

"That's the military for you, Gibbs. You never have to worry about anyone accusing you of being political. Funding and budgets are what keeps this big wheel turning." Gibbs just rolls his eyes at her comment, knowing it is true.

"You can say that again. The only thing good to come out of this is Jack Cahill."

"Cahill? What do you mean?"

"You left before Clark made that announcement… the Coast Guard is planning to give Jack a nice surprise."

"What's that?"

"Apparently, Skow's boat… the _Cyclops_? It was originally owned by Jack Cahill… that is until Skow practically stole it from him in a drunken poker game one night. Skow pretty much strong armed him into signing over his boat… called the _Fog Cutter_ back then."

"And to a man who'd lost his wife recently, I bet it was the last straw."

"You got it, Colonel... Cahill fell into the bottle hard after that and never managed to climb out until we drug him out of that hotel last week. Now the Coast Guard is going to refit his boat and give it back to him… freshly painted and ready to go. Plus their going to allow him to keep the seized boat we used in the undercover sting, the _Fog Cutter, II_."

"Well, that's a happy ending… we don't get to hear about those too often. Looks like Jack's back in the fishing business."

******

It is a bright sunny day and the Coast Guard's marina office is buzzing with activity. Two months after the closure of the big smuggling ring and Jack Cahill is about to receive his award. He has no idea they are planning to give him back his boat; he's just happy to have his life back, now that he's sobered up. He lost some weight during the long binge with alcohol, but he found his one good suit he hasn't worn the suit since his wife's funeral. He stands next to

Captain Clark, along with several other high ranking members of the Coast.

Gibbs and Hollis are waiting for the ceremony to start. She nudges Gibbs and points to Jack.

"Looks like things are about to get started."

"The Coast Guard wants everyone to know what good guys they are… you know, giving the little guy an award… while really reminding everyone of what they accomplished."

"Honey… you're starting to sound as cynical me." Gibbs grins over at her and she sighs in frustration.

"Not cynical… just irritated. You know what today is…" He doesn't answer, knowing today is the day to go visit Greg. She wanted him to meet the man who had once been her husband. He knows her love for him is more caring for a sick child with the dedication of a mother, than a wife.

As the speeches go from one high ranking official to the next Hollis allows her mind to wander. She thinks about Greg and how his health was fading fast… just as the doctors predicted. She has tried to make his remaining time happy and faithfully visited him three times a week as before. Gibbs was being wonderful about it all and never said a word. She has been wanting to introduce Gibbs to Greg, but hadn't really known how to go about doing it.

When the presentation is made the crowd claps loud and long as some of his friends call out their congratulations. Matt Clark is grinning as he glances over his shoulder to see that Cahill's boats are in place and ready for the next part of the presentation. The crowd finally settles down and becomes quiet as Matt explains that during the course of the investigation they seized the boat called the _Cyclops_. At hearing this, Jack frowns, remembering how Skow managed to take his boat from him. When he announces that the boat is being returned to its rightful owner, the crowd erupts in loud applause and cheers.

******

This was a part of her life, he had nothing to do with and he understood that. Now, she wanted him to see this part of her life. They drive in silence for the most part except when Hollis gives him directions; showing how nervous she really is. Gibbs decides to make this easy on her so when they get to the care home Gibbs parks the car and then turns in his seat to meet her eyes.

"Holly… I know this can't be easy for you… I can wait out here… if you want?"

"No… I want you to meet Greg. I… I just haven't let him know you would be here today."

"Does he know about me?"

"He knows you only as part of my work."

"All right… I can deal with that. Can you?"

"I want him to know the truth, Gibbs. I just don't know how much he can take at one time. Maybe after he meets you… then later I can tell him." She tries to remain calm, but just the thought of his limited time brings tears to her eyes. "I just don't know how much time he has left."

Gibbs can see how much this hurts her and reaches out to pull her into his arms. He holds her gently, soothing away her pain. "Hey, you're an incredible woman… and I love you very much."

His words give her the strength to pull her emotions back under control and a few minutes later she sits back in her seat with a smile on her face as she lets him know she is ready. "Come on… let's get this over with."

They walk inside, ignoring the looks from the nurses who have never seen her bring any visitors here before. Hollis can't help but smile at their curious glances. "You're going to be the talk at the coffee pot today."

He chuckles and decides to really give the nurses something to gossip about. He knows they are watching so he casually places his hand on her back, his fingers slipping down onto her hip in a possessive way. On nice days the nurses like to get all the patients outside for a little fresh air and sunshine. Hollis directs Gibbs as they continue on down the hallway. "He's out back."

She leads Gibbs out a double set of french doors at the end of the hallway which lead onto the rear lawn of the care center where he first glimpsed her with Greg. It is carefully manicured and picture perfect with shade trees and pristine white benches positioned around the lush green lawn. The only thing that seems out of place is the numerous wheelchairs and gurneys scattered around so the patients can enjoy the day.

Hollis stops for a moment, takes Gibbs's hand for support and leads him over to a nice big shade tree that has a gurney underneath it. There is also a bench, in case someone wants to sit and visit. As they get closer Hollis' hand tightens on his and they stop. They are behind Greg's head and she motions silently for him to stay there as she approaches and greets Greg. Gibbs stays back about ten feet from the gurney, out of sight as Hollis continues on. Before she can get there a weak voice calls out to her. Holly?Is that you?"

"Yes, it's me. How is it you always know before you even see me?"

"It's your perfume… it's my favorite."

"I knew there was a reason I kept buying this stuff. Hi, sweetheart." She stops beside his bed now and bends down to give him a quick kiss.

Gibbs watches the scene and strangely enough doesn't feel any jealousy at all. He sees the obvious love and tenderness in her eyes, but it's a motherly love. Gibbs can't see Greg's face, but from the tone of his voice he knows he is smiling. "Where have you been?"

"Work. They gave an award... a boat; to this guy who helped us out on a case."

"That's pretty cool. Was it a nice boat? Like a cat or a cabin cruiser?"

"No… it was a big smelly fishing boat… but it could have been the Queen Elizabeth to this guy. He was very happy."

As she talks to Greg, Gibbs remains motionless watching. Holly's eyes move quickly from Greg's face up to Gibbs' and then back again before she goes on to ask him about his latest visit from the doctor. They talk medical stuff for a few minutes and periodically Holly glances over to Gibbs, but then quickly returns her attention to Greg. He may not be able to move, but that doesn't mean he's unobservant. After a few minutes he finally interrupts her.

"Who is he? The man standing behind me… I can smell his cologne and you keep looking over there."

"You're very good… yes, there is someone there… a friend of mine."

She holds his gaze and after a moment Greg understands. It hits him like a lightning bolt. Greg has always wondered if his wife was leading a celibate life in the city or if she just let him believe that all these years. He can see she is nervous and decides to make this as easy on her as possible. It's what he's always wanted for her and although it hurts… he wants her to be happy. He covers up his pain and smiles.

"Well, have him come around so I can meet him."

"Sure… Gibbs?" Gibbs meets her eyes as he moves into Greg's line of sight on the opposite side of the bed from her. Greg studies him intently, not surprised to see what a handsome man he is. Hollis now rushes on to introduce them. "Greg… this is Agent Gibbs. Jethro Gibbs. This is Greg Hillman."

"Greg. It's nice to meet you."

"Same here… I've heard about you. You're the same guy Holly told me about?"

"Yea, well, I hope she hasn't told you anything bad about me."

"No… just what a bastard you can be sometimes."

"Greg! I did NOT say that!" Holly is blushing as Gibbs glances over at her. Both men grin at her embarrassment as Gibbs keeps things light and friendly.

"Holly? You couldn't possibly be referring to me?"

"Only on the good days, Gibbs… the other times you don't want to know what I say about you."

Greg watches the easy, intimate exchange between them and it confirms there is more to the relationship here than professionals. Hollis rolls her eyes in exasperation and Greg laughs, but it comes out more like a wheezing cough. Greg suddenly gasps as a coughing fit seizes him. Hollis immediately comes to his side, bracing his neck as he gasps for air. When he can finally catch his breath, Hollis is bending over him using a soft cloth to wipe his face. Greg's breathing sounds raspy and it takes him several minutes to calm down enough to be able to speak.

"I'm all right, honey… really."

Hollis still looks worried and keeps her hand on his chest so she can monitor his breathing. Greg takes a few more breaths and then turns his eyes back to Gibbs. He once again studies him for a long moment that makes Gibbs nervous… his eyes narrow and Gibbs has the feeling he knows about them. Greg's gaze is intent, but there is no dislike or disapproval there. Greg finally turns his eyes back to Hollis.

"Honey… will you please get my inhaler? It's in my room, I think."

"Sure… I'll be right back." Hollis hurries back towards the care center's main building, concerned with Greg's breathing problems.

Once she is gone however, Gibbs notices a change come over Greg and he is once again stunned by the man's powers of observation. "It'll take her a while to come back. My inhaler is right here with me."

"All right… but why send her on a wild goose chase?"

"Because… I know how protective she is of me… and I want to know the truth."

"About what?"

"You… her. She's more than just your work partner, isn't she?" Gibbs looks from his eyes, out

over the lawn and then back again as Greg urges him to answer. "I know she probably told you

not to say anything about it… but believe me… just bringing you here says volumes. Besides, I

see the way you two look at each other. I'm not blind."

"Yea, you know, you're very observant."

"And I'm very curious. So, tell me… am I right? How long have you two been dating? Or… has it gone farther than that?" Greg's eyes glisten with excitement as he gives free rein to his curiosity. Gibbs hesitates a moment, still wondering if he should tell him any of this… after all, it was Hollis's decision to tell him this stuff. "Come on… tell me! I've been dying to know about her life out there… she never tells me about anything but work."

"Maybe she thinks its best that way… maybe she's just protecting you."

"I don't know what she's told you, but I've been here a long time. Don't you think I know she's got a life out there… a real life? I know she only comes here, pretending to be my wife three times a week just to make me happy. And I'm not saying she doesn't… because to be honest, there are some days she's the only thing that keeps me going."

"She does it because she loves you."

"I know… but, it's not real love… hell, we knew we weren't really in love before my accident. Did she tell you we were in the process of getting a divorce when this happened?"

"Yea, she told me."

"Then you understand why she comes here… she feels guilty and refuses to abandon me. I know that… and I've had my own share of guilt over the years too. I just want to know she's happy… is that too much to ask?"

After his speech, Greg is now gasping for air again and has to take several minutes to catch his breath and calm down. Gibbs can see how fragile his health really is and realizes what Greg is asking… Gibbs finally sighs and a slight smile curves the corner of his mouth as he nods his head.

"She's happy… I give you my word on that."

"So, are you married?"

"No, but we have been dating about three years now."

"Don't you want to get married?"

Gibbs chuckles and shakes his head. "Difficult subject, my friend."

"Why?"

"I've lost count of the times I've asked her to marry me… and until recently she'd never give me a reason for turning me down. Now, I know why… and I understand."

"But… we're not married any more… I mean, the divorce was final a long time ago."

"I know, but to Holly that's just a piece of paper. In her heart she's still loyal to you."

"So… you just found out about me too?"

"About two months ago."

"I'm sorry… I wish I could make her change her mind."

"Don't be… now that I know the truth… I'm just glad she finally decided to let me meet you."

"Yea, me too… I've always hoped she'd find a guy like you."

They exchange a long, intense look and Gibbs just nods and then looks up to watch as Hollis and a nurse come hurrying back towards them. Greg sees Gibbs' focus change and quickly instructs him where to find his inhaler. "Quick, get my inhaler out from under my pillow… yea, right there."

Gibbs reaches for the inhaler and pulls it out just as Hollis comes up to tell them she can't find the inhaler anywhere. Gibbs holds it out to her with a look of complete innocence. "It was under his pillow… but you'd already gone inside when he remembered it."

He hands it to Hollis who immediately bends over to put the inhaler to Greg's mouth. She looks from one man to the other curiously, wondering what she missed while she was inside. She gives Greg an inhaler treatment and the nurse watches until she is done. Then she steps up to put a stethoscope to his chest and listen to his breathing. Gibbs and Hollis wait, their eyes meeting for a brief moment before the nurse stands up.

"You're sounding pretty raspy, mister. I think we better get you back inside for a breathing treatment."

"Not yet, Melanie… please… I've got company."

"All right… I'll give you ten minutes, ok? Then it's time to go inside." She smiles at Hollis, who nods her agreement, and then turns to go back inside.

Hollis sits on the edge of his gurney, smiling down at him now. "You feeling better?"

"I'm fine, honey… but I want you to tell me something…" Hollis can see the seriousness of his expression. She keeps the smile on her face, even as a strange tingle runs down her spine and nods. "Why haven't you married this guy yet? I like him… he's just what I've wanted you to find."

"What?"

"You don't have to pretend, honey… I knew the minute you introduced him to me there was more going on between you two."

"You did, huh? So that whole thing about your inhaler was just for my benefit?"

"Well, how else were we gonna have a man to man talk?"

"You're sneaky… both of you."

"I didn't have anything to do with that! I just answered a few questions, that's all." Holly gives him a stern look, not sure she likes the idea of these two talking about her.

"Honey… he only told me what I've suspected for some time. I'm happy for you… really. You don't know how guilty I felt for allowing you to waste your life on me."

"Hold it right there, buddy… I am not wasting my life for you… or him, or anyone. Got it? I'm here because I want to be with you… and, I'm with Gibbs the other times because I want to be with him." She leans down to gently stroke his hair as she looks deeply into his eyes and honestly admits, "I love you… and nothing is going to change that, okay, sweetheart?"

"And you love him?" She nods honestly. "Then marry him… at least put one of us out of our misery."

Although he says this sarcastically she knows this is his way of giving her his blessing. Gibbs stands back, watching the tender moment between them, as he sees how deep Holly's love for this man really runs. Holly strokes his hair and their eyes remain locked as he now whispers, "Please, honey… do it for me. I want to know you're happy before..."

Ssshhh… I am happy right now, with you."

Hollis smiles down at him, knowing he understands the dilemma she's been living with all this time. She feels her heart swelling with love for him and bends closer to kiss him several times, gently touching her lips to his as she whispers in between kisses, "Okay… but, this doesn't mean… you're off the hook… I'm still gonna visit you… three times a week."

When she pulls back his eyes are shining with tears as are hers and the bond between them is evident. Gibbs has backed off to give them some privacy, but continues to watch from a distance. When Hollis finally sits up she looks around for him and smiles. "Canyou help me get this con-man back inside?"

"Sure, just show me where the steering wheel is." His joke breaks the tension as he steps up to the end of Greg's bed and flips the brake pedal off. Greg meets his eyes and Gibbs winks at him as they begin to push his bed back towards the double doors of the care center.


End file.
